Tongue Tied
by Kissing Lips
Summary: Fans blocking streets causing riots, filling up malls and shutting down the traffic, fainting during meetings, concerts that are sold out withing seconds. Award after award and countless platinum records. That's how Santana's life looked like. And then there was Brittany the most normal girl who managed to turn Santana's world upside down...
1. Chapter 1: The Savior

**Chapter 1: The Savior**

* * *

"C'mon, Holly, please can we just take a break? I don't get this shit! I mean who the hell cares about geometry? I am never going to use this shit." Santana threw her pen onto the table and crossed her arms over her chest defensively. Her over usage of the word shit indicated her anger.

"Sweetie you're never going to graduate if you don't pay attention."

"Yeah and I still won't have a normal graduation." Santana rolled her eyes. Holly stood up and opened the window, letting the cold October air come into the warm tour bus. She knew Santana was sick of living in the tour bus. Yes, it was big but yet it was so small at the same time. They were living in the bus for a few weeks now and Santana got angrier with every minute she had to stay inside and she couldn't spend it outside having fun.

Of course they could afford a house- more than one actually- but eventually they would have to leave it. Besides they already lived in Los Angeles and the tour bus was just a place to stay for a few weeks. Santana was on tour at the moment giving concerts in different cities of the U.S. Lima in Ohio was the momentary place and Lima was a really small town and the only accommodation this small town had to offer was a small, crappy motel. Santana refused to live in it.

She was used to luxury things and the small, dirty motel rooms disgusted her. Holly could imagine how the younger girl felt. She loved the music and she loved to sing. And hell yeah she enjoyed being famous but she also wanted to have some peace and quiet. Santana was never the liking people type. She was rude and mean as hell and she liked to call herself a 'bitch'. Holly was the only one who knew Santana more than the bitch she showed.

Often she could see Santana getting annoyed when fans stayed too long and asked for autographs and hugs. Too much physical contact with stranger was sometimes too much for Santana. She simply hated people and the job she chose wasn't exactly perfect for her when you ignored the fact that she had one hell of a voice. At the age of fifteen she got discovered by Shelby Corcoran, who was now her manager. And in one year everyone knew Santana's name. Santana loved the attention she got and the money she made. She had bought so many expensive clothes that Holly didn't know where to put all of them.

Holly was Santana's god mother. Her parents died when she was ten and now she was taking care of the girl. But Holly had always taken care of Santana more than her parents. And she did her best to make Santana happy. Santana had always been close to Holly since her birth. She was even closer to Holly than to her parents.

Mr. Lopez- Santana's father- was a surgeon and he was barely home. Mrs. Lopez- Santana's mom- was a business woman always missing from home and couldn't be the mother Santana had needed so many times. Holly liked Santana's parents. Maribel Lopez had been one of Holly's closest friends before she and her husband became workaholics and had barely time for anything. Santana, though, never complained about her parents.

She barely had memories of them. She never knew them enough to be affected by their death. Sure she had been sad but she never cried. It came more by surprise and Santana was shocked but she didn't miss them more than when they were still alive. At least that what she was saying.

Besides friend, parent and whatever else Holly was for Santana, she also was Santana's private teacher. Holiday had asked herself a lot of times why she became a teacher but Santana always reminded her again. She loved teaching people. Seeing the knowledge slowly crawling up into their brain helping them in their lives. Sure Santana was a little annoying because she had better things to do than to learn but Holly couldn't do more than to just be patient. Because that's all you had to do with Santana. Be patient.

What bothered Holly the most though was that Santana couldn't have normal teenage experiences. No matter where she would go Santana would always be recognized unless she would hide behind some sunglasses or hoodies. Santana couldn't have friends without having doubts if they liked her for real or they just used her for her publicity.

But a few years ago, before Santana was really famous she met Sam and they became really good friends. He started hanging out with Santana and when she found out that he could play the guitar, she asked him if he wanted to be member of the band that played when she was on tour. And since then the two friends were inseparable. He was like a brother for Santana. Holly was really glad that they met each other because she needed someone who was the same age. Sam had a similar childhood to Santana. His parents were divorced and didn't really care about him. So wherever Santana was Sam was right beside her.

Holly sighed and grabbed a bottle of water and took a few sips. She sat next to Santana and offered her some water. Santana shook her head.

"Holly, I want to go to a public school. I am sick of living in this tour bus and I am sick of private lessons. I want to throw paper balls at teachers and I want to ditch lessons and goof around with my friends. I want to keep making music and doing concerts but I still want to live like a normal teenager."

"Let's do geometry now and we'll talk about it later. Besides you have an autograph session later at the mall. So we have to hurry up, okay? And throwing paper balls at teachers is not funny." Santana laughed and shook her head in disagreement. Holly gave her a 'don't- mess- with- me- look' and Santana immediately stopped which earned her laughter from Holly.

"Fine." Santana sighed and turned her attention again to the book.

"That's my girl." Holly said and they started back on geometry.

* * *

Santana let the warm liquid warm her from the inside out as she emptied her cup of coffee. It calmed her, it distracted her when she was a bit on edge. She looked at her now empty cup and put a chewing gum into her mouth. She checked herself again in the rear view mirror, earning an eye roll from Holly and put some lip gloss on.

"You look great, Santana. You just have to sign some cards and take some pictures."

"I am sure I'll have to sing some songs before I am finally released."

"You're right. But don't deny that you love the attention."

"You know me too well." Santana laughed and looked out of the window. It was tinted so that she wouldn't be seen from outside. She could see from inside what was going on outside, but from outside no one knew what was happening inside of the car. And honestly she was really glad about it. "Wait, my guitar is in the trunk, isn't it?"

"Yeah you checked twice, remember? Besides Sam is going to play the guitar so no need to worry, honey. Just relax you have only a few minutes left." Santana nodded. She could see the mall. To be honest she had no idea how she landed in a small town named Lima in Ohio. Usually she only visited big cities but her manager had organized it, so she hadn't any choice. At least she could do what she liked the most singing and making music and for that it didn't matter where she was.

While the car was nearing the mall she could see the mass of people standing in front of the back entrance. It still pissed Santana off that a people still came to the back entrance. The driver slowed the car down because some crazy fans had circled around the vehicle and before there would be an accident they had to be more careful.

Santana turned around and looked for the second car where Sam and Shelby were sitting. She could see Sam sitting in the passenger seat. She waved at him and for a moment she forgot that he wasn't able to see her. She missed his comfort and the safety she felt when he was next to her. It calmed her down and cleared her thoughts.

The car stopped. Santana spit her chewing gum into a napkin before she got out. After exiting the car Sam was immediately by her side, the safe feeling returning immediately and the security man- Joe a good hearted, dark skinned man who was as big as a wardrobe tried to push Santana, Sam, Holly and Shelby through the crowd safely. Some paparazzi were waiting for Santana trying to take the best picture. Fans were cheering and screaming for Santana to get an autograph or a hug. Santana was holding Sam's hand tightly pulling him with her. She kept smiling, though, always keeping up the perfect façade. The security and the mall's manager led them inside to the tribune in front of some stores.

"Ready, hot stuff?" Holly asked.

"Always." Santana smiled. She adjusted her clothes. Sam hugged her wished her good luck and Santana, Holly, Sam and Shelby went all upstairs onto the small stage. The crowd cheered and they waved politely at back them. Santana could see some placates with pictures of her on them and 'Santana, we love you' written on them in many colors and she had never seen so much glitter.

A long line of people of all ages were already waiting. The security people let them slowly upstairs so Santana could give some autographs and take some pictures with them. Santana even got some presents. Stuffed animals and candies and someone gave her jewelry. Nothing expensive but Santana always thanked her fans politely and put an extra heart next to her autograph. One fan, though, stayed in her mind. A small brunette girl who introduced herself as 'Rachel Berry, future Broadway star.' She was memorable because she was annoying as hell to Santana. She talked really fast and only about herself. And her huge nose was unforgettable. She even gave Santana a calling card. Santana would throw it into the bin after the autograph session anyway.

After the autographs she placed two stools in the middle of the tribune and Sam sat on one with his guitar and Santana sat on the other. A microphone was standing in front of her. She sang one of her new songs and after that she was free to leave. Everyone got behind the stage. Sam and Holly hugged Santana and congratulated her for her amazing performance.

"I need something to eat. I am starving. Let's grab something." Santana said and Sam nodded in agreement.

"Okay, Shelby and I have some things to arrange with the mall's manager and we're coming. Just text us the place." Holly said.

"Will do." Santana changed her shirt. She put an oversized hoodie on and pulled the hood over her head. Grabbing her purse, Santana placed her sunglasses onto her nose. Sam did the same. They didn't want to be recognized while they were still in the mall so they had to do those things. As best friend and guitar player of Santana, Sam was pretty popular, too. Often many people speculated that they were actually dating. Sure both of them were really affectionate with each other but they didn't date. They just made jokes about it all the time. Santana linked her arms through Sam's and they started walking through the mall.

"So you're hungry. What do you wanna eat?" Santana thought for a second.

"I think I want some sushi."

"Sounds good." Sam agreed. "Do you know where we can eat sushi here?"

"I have no idea, Sam. Wait a second." Santana unlinked her arm from Sam's and walked towards a girl who was standing a few meters away laughing and talking with a group of friends.

"San, that's not a good idea." Sam said but Santana ignored him. She continued walking towards the group, getting a few dirty looks from the girls but she couldn't care less. If they were giving her shit then she would do it too. So she crossed her arms in front of her chest and raised an eyebrow giving them a dirty look. She looked much more intimidating than them and immediately they backed off a little.

"So can any of you tell me where we can get some sushi here?" She asked and tried to sound as polite as possible.

"Yeah just take the elevator and-" She stopped. Santana frowned.

"And?"

"Oh my god you are Santana Lopez, aren't you?" Santana sighed.

"I guess so. Can you please tell me now where I can get some sushi?" This time Santana sounded much more annoyed by the girl and she didn't even bother to hide it. The other girls were smiling and they looked so excited.

"Can we get an autograph? We didn't get any earlier, the line was too long and-" Santana rolled her eyes and turned around. She walked towards Sam and pulled him with her.

"Wait!" She heard the girl shout. Santana walked faster. She could still hear the girls following her and so she started running away.

"San, we have to separate." Sam said, earning a nod from Santana before she took another way. Some of the girls followed Sam but most of the girls ran after Santana. 'For fuck's sake' Santana thought to herself. She ran around a corner into an empty hall. She could already feel her breathing getting shorter and she was a singer which meant she had better stamina than most people. Suddenly she felt someone grabbing her arm and before she could protest she got pulled into an adjoining room.

"What the-"

"Shh." Someone cut her off by putting a hand over Santana's mouth. The person wasn't holding Santana's mouth shut aggressively. The person just put the hand lightly onto Santana's mouth to shut her up till the girls couldn't be heard anymore, so she obliged. After all, this person saved her from those insane girls.

A light went on and Santana looked right into blue orbs. Her breath hitched because of the surprise and because of the beauty of those eyes. She looked around and saw that they were in a small room with cleaning utensils. Santana looked back at the person. It was a girl. Probably around the same age and she was tall and blonde. The girl took her hand away from Santana's face and looked at her curiously.

"Thank you." Santana broke the silence.

"No problem. Why were they even running after you?"

"Because they are fucking crazy." Santana replied matter of fact. The blonde chuckled because of Santana's honesty.

"What are you even doing here? I mean today there is- wait what was her name? I think Santana Lopez? She is pretty famous and she is here today doing autographs." The blonde girl chewed on her bottom lip. Obviously she was thinking. Santana had to smile.

"I could ask you the same."

"I guess I don't need to see her. I mean I'm not a big fan or anything. I don't know if I like her. She's fine I guess. Besides I had to run some errands so I didn't go and it wasn't so important anyway." The girl shrugged. Santana had thought she would be offended if someone would come up with 'I don't like Santana Lopez'. She would start trying to impress them but she wasn't offended at all when this girl said that.

Maybe it was because she saved her, maybe it was because Santana saw that what she said wasn't intended to sound mean but honest in a way no one had ever acted towards Santana. This was the first time a stranger admitted that they weren't a fan of her or liked her. This situation was new for her and she felt… normal. Yeah, normal was the word she was looking for. The girl cleared her throat. The situation kind of became awkward and Santana had to look for Sam and Holly.

"So… um… I have to go. Thanks again." Santana finally said and glanced down at her shoes.

"No problem." The girl smiled and Santana caught herself smiling, too. The girl's smile was contagious. Santana waved again at the girl and opened the door. Looking around for any signs of the crazy girls she made sure that the hall was empty and exited the small room with a last glance at the girl. But before she walked away she opened the door again and poked her head in.

"Hey, what's your name?" The blonde girl was startled by Santana's sudden reappearance. She cleared her throat a second time and straightened up before replying.

"I'm Brittany S. Pierce." Santana nodded and started to walk away.

"Hey." She heard Brittany calling after her. Santana turned around. "I don't know your name." A smirk spread across Santana's face before she took her sunglasses off and pulled her hood down.

"I'm Santana Lopez. Nice to meet you, Brittany." She smiled and winked. Brittany's jaw dropped and her cheeks turned bright red. A laugh coming from Santana in reply echoed through the silent hall. She pulled her hood back over head and put her sunglasses on and walked away leaving an embarrassed Brittany behind.

* * *

**A/N** **Let me know what you think :) Either here or on my tumblr: kissinglipss. tumblr. com**


	2. Chapter 2: Stuck

**Chapter 2: Stuck**

* * *

"Mom! Mom!" Brittany walked into the house leaving the front door wide open. She ran into the living room. It was empty. "Mom?" She shouted again.

"In the kitchen, honey." Brittany's mom replied. Brittany followed her mom's voice into the kitchen where her she was cooking dinner. "Brittany, did you close the door?" She looked up from the sauce she was preparing for the pasta. Brittany bit her bottom lip before running back to the front door and pushed it shut loudly before running back into the kitchen.

"Brittany, how many times have I told you to close the door carefully?" Brittany's mom tried to sound stern but failing completely. She was never the type for being stern. She had this lovely attitude which people completely loved about her. She had this heartwarming smile which Brittany had, too.

Brittany looked in so many ways like her mom. The warm eyes and the beautiful smile and of course the lovely character. She was a copy of her mom. The pretty, golden locks and the well-shaped body. But Brittany's dad was also a very handsome man with a great character. He was working as a lawyer at a respected law firm.

Brittany's mom though was just a housewife. But she loved taking care of her family more than anything else. For the Pierces, family time was very important so Mr. Pierce never worked at home. Every once in a while they had their family night where they spent time together by watching movies or going out.

"Sorry, mom." Brittany walked behind the stove and pecked her mom's cheek.

"How was it at the mall, honey?"

"It was fine. I got you the things you needed. Where's Stacey and Dad?"

"Your dad is working and your sister is still at the mall. You know how Stacey is with Santana. She adores that girl. Didn't you see her?"

"No, not really. The mall was really crowded. Thanks mom, though." Brittany said before disappearing upstairs. She snuck into her sister's room where the walls were full with posters of Santana. Every time Brittany compared her room to her sisters she saw so many differences.

Brittany's walls were full of Polaroid photos of her family, friends and other random things she liked. Her room was showing parts of her personality and Stacey's room was showing pictures of a stranger. And when Brittany thought about it she never gave Santana a chance. She just never found it important to listen to her songs or be a fan.

She looked at some posters. Santana was really beautiful. Her sun kissed skin and her perfect curves. Brittany travelled her eyes up to Santana's face. Her dark, chocolate eyes looked like they could see right into your soul and her full, luscious lips… red and hypnotizing. Brittany gulped. She shook her head to clear her thoughts.

She looked again around the room. When she saw what she was looking for, she took a few steps till she reached the shelf were Stacey kept her CDs. Taking one of Santana's CDs, she copied the music onto her iPod before she returned the album back to her sister's shelf carefully to leave it the same way she found it before.

Back in the safety of her room Brittany plugged her head phones into her ears and hit play. Santana's raspy voice sounded like velvet and bemused Brittany's senses. She asked herself why she didn't listen earlier to Santana's songs. It was simply beautiful and hypnotizing. She lied onto her bed and although it was only noon Brittany let Santana's voice lull her into sleep.

* * *

"So which one do you want to wear during your last number?" Helen, Santana's stylist held two outfits up for her to choose. They were preparing everything for Santana's last concert. It should be a big event. Santana chewed on her bottom lip and concentrated on the outfits. One was a pair of tight, red Prada jeans with a white top and a pair of black Louboutin high heels.

Santana may be seventeen but when it came to fashion she wore expensive things and clothes that fitted perfectly and highlighted her curves. She was sexy without looking slutty. The other outfit was a simple, tight, black, strapless dress which reached her tights with a zipper from the bottom to the cleavage and again the same shoes. Santana leaned her head to the left and then to the right. She was a little distracted as she didn't get to eat because of the incident at the mall and she was really hungry.

"I might go with the red jeans. What do you say?"

"I think both are great and no matter which you'll choose both will look perfectly on you."

"Hmm…" Santana was still thinking. "Wait a second, Helen." Helen nodded. "Holly, can you come for a second?" Santana shouted. She had no idea where Holly was. They were all backstage at the arena where Santana's last concert would take place next week. Everyone was really exhausted after the day at the mall but they had so many things to arrange before next week. To be honest Santana had no idea why Shelby had chosen Lima for her last concert but there were almost no tickets left so that couldn't be a bad idea.

"What's up?" Holly came into the dressing room with her Blackberry in her hand looking busy.

"I dunno which outfit to choose."

"Let me take a look." She looked up and looked at the outfits with the same concentrated look Santana had minutes ago. "Go with the red jeans. Red is your color."

"All right take the red jeans, Helen." Santana ordered and disappeared before Helen could say anything else. She walked under the stage where the crew was busy with installing some cables. Another crew was testing the lights and the sound effects and when Santana took the stairs which led to the stage she saw Sam and the rest of the band practicing the songs. When they spotted Santana they stopped and smiled at her. Sam approached her and kissed her cheek.

"Hey, did you choose your outfit?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'll go with the red jeans."

"Good choice. Do you want to go through your songs?" He grabbed a microphone and handed it Santana.

"Wait, before you start." Shelby came onto the stage. "Okay, Santana on Monday you have a photo shoot and in December they invited you to a movie premiere. They gave you two extra tickets. Sam can come and if you find someone else you can bring them. Holly got one invitation, too. And we have some VIP tickets left. I gave two of them to Lima's radio station they are going to raffle them."

"Okay. Something else, or can we start?"

"No, that's all. Do you want me to send Mason to help you with your vocal training?"

"No, I already did my vocal training."

"Okay, Holly and I are going to take a seat in front of the stage to listen to you. Have fun guys." Shelby said before she disappeared again.

"Thanks." The band members and Santana said in unison.

"Let's start guys." Sam shouted and they started rehearsing Santana's songs.

* * *

"Brittany!" Brittany turned around and snuggled further into her bed. She had still one of the head phones in her ear the other one had fallen out so besides her best friend's voice she also heard Santana's voice and a small smile tugged on her lips.

"Okay, why are you smiling right now?" Quinn chuckled and sat next to Brittany. She tickled Brittany and eventually she opened her eyes.

"Just feeling good." Brittany replied hoarsely. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. Quinn looked at her with confusion, not believing her. After all Quinn had known Brittany for a long time. She was bubbly, cheerful and always smiling, but right now she looked different. Not in a bad way, just different.

"So why were you sleeping? I mean we have still the whole afternoon and it's Friday."

"I know I just took a nap. I was really tired."

"Anyway, Puck just texted me. Probably you, too but you were sleeping and didn't see your text. His parents are out and he invited the glee club over. What do you think?"

"It sounds really good but I don't want to get wasted. Last time I didn't find my bra and it was my favorite one. I bet Artie kept it." Brittany pouted and Quinn chuckled.

"Fine, we'll just go and have fun. We don't need to get wasted."

"Okay. And Quinn?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we stop for some burgers? I really didn't get to eat and if we are going to drink alcohol- because we both know Puck, he will give us alcohol- and I want to have something in my stomach."

"We'll stop at a drive in, okay? Now stand up and get dressed." Quinn said and pushed Brittany off the bed.

"Okay." Brittany bounced and opened her dresser.

* * *

"Okay, that was good guys. We're going to see you tomorrow." Santana said and emptied the last water from her bottle. She was sweaty because of the stage lights but she didn't care. Right now she was just hungry and she wanted to eat. She put the microphone on a big, black box and looked up when she saw Holly and Shelby approaching her.

"That was really good, Santana. You are going to rock the concert." Shelby said and patted Santana's shoulder before she disappeared to make a phone call.

"So what are your plans now? It's Friday and I don't think you want to spend it in the bus. Am I right?" Holly raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, but right now I just want to eat something because I am starving."

"Okay, have fun." Holly said.

"Thanks." Santana replied and went downstairs to find Sam. She didn't have to search, though. Sam was putting his guitar in its case. He looked up when he saw Santana's figure standing beside him.

"Lemme guess you're hungry and you want to grab something to eat?" He raised an eyebrow. Santana chuckled and nodded. It didn't surprise her any more that Sam knew her so well. She knew him as good as he knew her. Sometimes they didn't need to say something to know what the other one wanted to say or how the other one was feeling. Because in the end they were always there for each other. They were family after all. Santana, Sam and Holly of course.

"You know me way too well, Sam. So are you in?"

"Of course I am. Burgers and shakes?" Sam asked and Santana nodded eagerly earning a chuckle from Sam.

* * *

"Are you ready, Britt?" Quinn knocked at the bathroom door.

"Just a second." She heard Brittany answering behind the closed door and a minute later Brittany appeared in the hall wearing a pair of tight jeans and a pink long sleeved shirt with a V-neck and black polka dots. "Ready." Brittany said and grabbed her coat. "Hey, do you want to sleep over after the party?" Brittany asked.

"Yeah and we can just take your car if I'm sleeping over anyway." Brittany nodded and they went downstairs.

"Bye, mom." Brittany yelled before she closed the front door. She unlocked her car and started the engine. Her car didn't sound healthy at all. A loud clacking noise could be heard from the engine. To be honest it wasn't that new. It was an old, blue pick-up truck which belonged once to her grandpa. She got it after she got her license and was waiting to get a new one.

"Um, Britt? I think you should check your car soon." Quinn suggested.

"It's going to be fine, Q. Don't worry." And with that she pulled out of the driveway. About ten minutes later they were at the drive in. There was a long line of cars so Brittany turned her engine off after they ordered. Obviously there were some problems in the kitchen and the customers had to wait longer for their orders.

Quinn rolled her eyes and tapped her foot impatiently.

"Be patient, Q. It's not like we're going to miss anything. We've been to Puck's that many times with the glee club and it's always the same."

"Yeah, you're right, I guess." Quinn mumbled and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

* * *

"There is a drive in." Santana pointed at the line in front of the drive in. Sam joined the other drivers at the line and with a smooth turn he was behind an old blue pick-up truck.

"Oh my god! How long do I have to wait to get my fucking food?" Santana waved her hands angrily in front of her when she saw the line. Sam turned the engine off and looked at her.

"Calm down. You will get your food. I promise."

"I hope so." Santana mumbled and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

* * *

"Britt, I think we can drive forward." Quinn said, interrupting Brittany's daydream, when she saw the other cars in front of them moving. Brittany turned the key in the ignition. The engine started but immediately after, there was a loud 'bang' and the engine turned off. After trying several times to start the engine again, Brittany bit her bottom lip and looked at Quinn. Quinn face palmed herself.

"Oh hell to the no!" She said.

"Oops." Was all Brittany said.

"The line is moving, Sam. Finally." Santana said when she saw the cars moving. She smiled, thinking that she was going to get her food. Sam started the engine. The pick-up in front of them turned the engine on, too. But then they heard a loud noise which startled both of them.

"I don't think that was a good sound." Sam bit his lip.

"Oh hell to the no!" Santana said.

* * *

"Oops? That's all you have to say? Oops?" Quinn sighed and rubbed her temple. She should be used to this by now. She knew Brittany. Her clumsiness and her messy character. "Okay, I am going to the front and tell the employer that you can't move and you'll call roadside assistance. I'll be back." Quinn stepped out of the car and walked to the front. Brittany pulled her cell from her purse out and dialed the number. After a few minutes Brittany hang up and Quinn climbed onto the passenger seat.

"What did they say?"

"They'll be here in an hour."

"I guess we'll have to wait then." Quinn said and Brittany nodded in agreement.

* * *

Santana opened the door and jumped out of the car. She was tired of waiting. She just wanted to eat. It seemed like the universe didn't want Santana to get something to eat or maybe it was just karma but Santana had no idea what exactly she did to deserve such a treatment. Sam watched her curious while she walked to the car in front of them and tapped the window. Brittany turned around and her eyes widened when she saw who was standing there. She blushed and opened the door. Quinn just looked at her in confusion and just watched while Brittany climbed out of the car.

"Hey, Santana." Brittany greeted politely. Santana forgot what she wanted to say when she saw Brittany looking at her with her piercing blue eyes. When she exited from her own car she wanted to yell at the person in front of her because it took them so long but she couldn't be mad at Brittany. She didn't know why but she had this feeling that this was just Brittany. Santana opened her mouth but closed it again. She tried again.

"Um, hi Brittany." She smiled.

"Sorry, my car died down and the roadside assistance will be here in an hour so we're stuck."

"Um, o-okay." _What the hell is going on with you, Lopez? _

"Hey, Blondie will you move your car now or not? We're hungry." An older man looked out of the window and yelled angrily at Brittany. Santana saw Brittany flushing. She was angry at this guy for treating Brittany so badly.

"Shut your fucking mouth before I come over and show you how to do it properly." Santana yelled back. The man got back into his car. When she turned her head back to Brittany she got the most beaming smile she had ever seen in her life.

"Thanks." Brittany said.

"No, problem. He was rude to you and that's not okay."

"It's just so embarrassing that I am the one who caused this." Brittany pointed at the line that was getting longer.

"Wait, I have an idea." Santana said and walked back to her car leaving Brittany confused at her own car. Santana opened the driver's seat door. "Sam, my guitar is still in the trunk, I think. Want to entertain the mass a little?" She gave him a smirk and Sam grinned back at her. He turned the engine off and went back to open the trunk. Santana walked again back to Brittany. She opened the car's door and looked at Quinn. "Hey, I'm Santana." Quinn's eyes widened.

"I-I know who you are." She replied shocked. Santana rolled her eyes. She was used to people reacting this way but she was bored.

"Well do you have a name?"

"I'm um… I'm Quinn." Brittany who was looking at the whole scenario was chuckling. She had never seen Quinn so unconfident before. At their high school Quinn was the head cheerleader and always in charge of everything. People didn't dare to mess with her and now she was like a puppy hiding behind a sofa.

"Okay. So Quinn and Brittany." Santana turned her head back to Brittany. "Can you sing?"

"We're in glee club at our school." Brittany answered because she didn't see Quinn getting over her shock anytime soon.

"Good." Santana smiled. "Get out of the car, Quinn." Santana said and closed the door. Sam was already standing outside with the guitar in his hands. Quinn exited slowly and walked over to Brittany. "Girls this is Sam. Sam this is Brittany and this is Quinn." She pointed at the girls and Sam waved in response.

"Hi." He smiled at Quinn.

"Hi." Quinn said back. Santana climbed on the back of Brittany's truck and gestured to the others to join her. She extended one hand for Brittany to take and helped her onto the truck. Sam helped Quinn.

"Hey, everyone." Santana yelled. Some drivers peaked out of their cars to see who was shouting. When they saw who it was they pulled her phones out and made some pictures. More passengers came out of their cars and stood there. Even random people who weren't even in the drive in came.

"Hello, I am Santana Lopez and these are Sam, Quinn and Brittany. We'll be stuck for a while and we thought we'll do something to stop the boredom. If you know the song you're more than welcome to join us." She gave Sam an encouraging nod to start and he started singing. Everyone started clapping and cheering. Santana smiled and after a while she joined Sam. Some people were brave enough to come closer to the pick-up truck and even sang along with Sam and Santana. Brittany and Quinn were skeptical at first but when Sam started playing the chorus they got over their fear and started singing along.

* * *

Santana, Sam, Quinn and Brittany sung a few more songs before the roadside assistance came to drag off Brittany's truck. The manager of the restaurant was more than thankful for the kids' performance. They kept the people calm before they went insane. After the performance Santana and Sam took pictures with the fans and gave autographs. Even Quinn and Brittany got asked to give autographs. A journalist of Lima's newspaper took a few pictures and interviewed Santana and Sam.

After the whole autographs and pictures the customers got their food and the manager offered Santana, Sam, Quinn and Brittany their orders for free because they helped. They accepted and sat inside to enjoy their food. Santana was the happiest girl in the world when she saw the food in front of her and she decided to invite Brittany and Quinn to join them. She liked the girls, especially Brittany. Quinn was a little startled at the beginning with Santana's appearance and of course because of the fact that Brittany and Santana knew each other. Brittany had never spoken a word about it to her.

"Wait, I have a question." Quinn took a sip from her milkshake and looked at Brittany and then at Santana. "You two know each other?" Santana laughed and nodded before she spoke.

"Your friend over here saved my ass today. Some crazy fans were chasing after me and she pulled me into a janitor's closet." Quinn laughed. "Yeah I had to laugh pretty hard, too. But I hope your opinion about me has changed." She glanced at Brittany who blushed again.

"Yeah I'm sorry about what I said."

"It's fine. I just hope that everything's fine between us now."

"Yeah it is." Brittany smiled again.

"So what are you going to do now without a car?" Sam asked, curious. Santana had noticed that he and Quinn were stealing glances at each other and she found it adorable but really annoying because they didn't have the courage to talk to each other properly.

"I could call Puck and he can pick us up." Quinn offered to Brittany. Brittany raised an eyebrow and shook her head.

"He's probably drunk, Q."

"Hmm, I think you're right."

"We can offer you a ride?" Santana interrupted. She had no idea why she was overly nice to the girls. Actually only to Brittany but if Quinn was her friend she had to be nice to her, too. She didn't quite know why, but she found the girl incredibly interesting.

"That would be very nice." Brittany beamed at Santana. Sam looked confused at both girls. He was slightly irritated by Santana's behavior. She was very nice to Brittany and usually before she warmed up to someone she had to get to know them. That was exactly how it was when he met Santana. At first she was really mean and rude but then after talking a few times they became friends. And now she had barely known Brittany, only for a few hours, and Santana was so nice to her.

But Sam was glad though. He liked when Santana had more friends than just him. Of course he loved being Santana's best friend and something like a brother to her, but sometimes she needed to talk to a girl about girls stuff. Sam had no idea about any of that stuff and from what he heard from Santana, he was a little terrified now. But living with two women made him understand the opposite gender better and his respect for women grew every day more and more.

"So is everyone ready?" Sam asked and stood up.

"Yeah." Quinn said, and she stood up too. Brittany and Santana followed behind.

"Excuse me Ms. Lopez?" The manager stopped them before they could get outside. Santana turned around.

"Yeah?"

"Could I have a picture with you, please? I'd like to hang it up on our wall."

"Only if my friends can be in the picture, too."

"Of course." The manager handed the camera to one of his employers who took the picture. "Thank you."

"No problem." Santana replied and they got into the car. She let Quinn sit in the passenger seat next to Sam. She knew they liked each other so she thought why not give it a shot?

* * *

"Is this the house?" Sam asked Quinn when he stopped the car in front of Puck's car.

"Yeah." She answered irritated when she saw Finn chasing after his step-brother Kurt shirtless. Santana raised an eyebrow.

"Okay?" She said. She looked at Brittany. Santana didn't want it to be over. "It was really nice with you today."

"Yeah, it really was." Brittany replied softly. "Um do you… do you want to come in or something? I mean it's just the glee club. You don't have to come in if you don't want to. It's probably just boring. I'm sure you have better things to do."

"Brittany!" Santana put her finger on Brittany's lips to shush her. "I would love to come in if that's no problem with your friends." Santana glanced at Quinn who looked at Sam.

"Nope, I'm okay with this. Sam?" Quinn asked.

"I'll come, too."

"Awesome." Brittany cheered and got out of the car. She ran to the other side and opened the door for Santana.

"Thank you." She blushed a little what couldn't be seen because of her naturally dark skin. After everyone got out, Sam locked the car and they walked to Puck's front door. Santana was excited. It was a long time ago since she'd been invited to a party that wasn't about working stuff. Just hanging around getting wasted and have a good time. She was anxious to see how it felt. And when she saw Brittany's excited smile she knew that she would definitely have a good time.

* * *

**A/N Thanks for reading :) I hope you enjoyed.**

**Tell me what you think either here or on my tumblr: kissinglipss. tumblr. com**


	3. Chapter 3: Don't forget me

**Chapter 3: Don't Forget Me**

* * *

Brittany rang the bell. She glanced at Santana to make sure that it was indeed that Santana Lopez who was standing next to her and when she made sure that she was still there smiled. No one opened the door, but Brittany knew they were inside. She could hear Rachel's voice over everyone else's. The girl was always so loud and attention seeking that if she was silent for a moment everyone assumed that she was ill. Brittany rang the bell again but this time she let her finger linger on the button. She could hear the constant ringing sound.

"For god's sake, I'm coming." She heard Puck screaming. He opened the door with a beer bottle in his hand. He almost dropped it when he saw who was standing next to Brittany. He quickly got over the shock and smirked - Brittany recognized his flirt smile. Santana turned irritated to Brittany, a confused frown gracing her features. She found this guy weird. And he was looking very strangely at her. She felt annoyed and uncomfortable when she saw him checking her out.

His gaze started from her face and proceeded to scanning her whole figure hungrily. She was used to it by now, to people looking at her strangely but this guy was more than annoying. This guy made her shift uncomfortably. Santana felt like an object. She balled her fists ready to punch the guy if he didn't avert his gaze from her. Sam took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly, trying to calm Santana. He brushed his thumb over her knuckles until Santana eased her fist and let Sam grip her hand softly as a calming feeling washed over her.

Sam prayed to god that this guy would stop looking at Santana this way because he knew Santana wouldn't back off from using violence. And she had some pretty hard punches. And after many years of training with Joe, her punches had gotten harder. Not that he would let this guy anything to his sister. Brittany cleared her throat after noticing Santana's anger. She didn't blame her, though. Puck was staring at her like a lion stares hungrily at a zebra before it starts hunting.

"Are you going to let us in or do we have to freeze?" She pushed Puck aside, grabbed Santana's free hand and pulled her inside. Santana could still feel Puck's gaze on her.

"Hi, I'm Noah Puckerman. But everyone calls me Puck or Puckerman. Lemme take your coat." Puck offered to Santana. He didn't let her answer. He just took her coat and threw it over a chair. He ran his hand through his Mohawk. Santana had enough. She gave him a dirty look and followed Brittany who started walking towards the living room.

"I'm sorry about him. He is always like that." Brittany whispered.

"Don't be sorry. He seems like an asshole. But let's ignore him and have some fun. Now introduce me to your other friends." Brittany smiled at Santana and nodded. They stepped into the living room. Brittany saw Rachel standing in front of the television singing a duet with Blaine. Mercedes was chatting with Kurt. Tina and Mike were making out and Finn was pulling his shirt over his head while Artie was sitting in a corner on his wheelchair playing some game on his phone.

"Hey guys." Brittany greeted the group. "This is Santana." Quinn and Sam stepped into the living room. "And this is Sam." And then Brittany started introducing Santana and Sam to everyone else in the room.

"Brittany we know who they are." Santana recognized the annoying girl from the mall. Rachel- Berry- future- Broadway- star. Santana scowled and rolled her eyes.

"Hello Rachel." She said unenthusiastically.

"You remember me?" Rachel's eyes widened.

"Yeah, I usually remember weird people." Laughter echoed through the room and Rachel's jaw dropped.

"That was really good, girl." Mercedes said.

"I just keep it real." Santana shrugged.

"Come with me." Brittany whispered and Santana followed her. Brittany led her into a kitchen. It was a small kitchen with only table and a few chairs standing in it. "Do you want something to drink?" Santana took a seat on one of the chairs.

"Yes." Santana watched Brittany mixing some drinks. For a moment she took in Brittany's appearance. Santana noticed how pretty Brittany was. Her long, golden locks falling loosely around her shoulders as she bent forward to grab some bottles. Her crystal blue eyes seemed so sincere that Santana had to be honest around her. Her pink lips looking even prettier with her milky skin and her freckles giving her face a really cute touch.

Santana felt her stomach tighten. She shook her head quickly after realizing how she was looking at Brittany. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. Was it a good idea to come here with Brittany? She didn't know her. Neither did she know Quinn. Could she trust them? She had this feeling that she could trust Brittany. But she wasn't so sure if she could trust Quinn. And even if she couldn't trust Brittany, Santana couldn't bring herself to leave her. She liked Brittany. She was the first person who she felt like she could befriend. And besides Sam, Brittany seemed like a sincere friend. It was impossible for Santana to think of Brittany betraying her. Wait, was Brittany Santana's friend? After all she had just met them.

"Santana?" Santana shook her head and opened her eyes. Brittany was standing in front of her with two red plastic cups.

"Um, sorry I spaced out." Santana took one cup and took a sip. Brittany took a seat next to Santana.

"Does that happen often?" Brittany raised an eyebrow.

"I hope not." Santana laughed and took another sip. For a while the girls just sat there. Santana was unsure how to act around Brittany. She was nervous to say something wrong that will cause Brittany to not want to be her friend. After all Santana was complicated and her attitude made it difficult for people to handle her. Many couldn't deal with her honesty and her mean remarks. Santana wasn't afraid to give people crap and she didn't back off from saying the truth.

Holly was the only one who speculated about the reasons behind Santana's anger, sadness and trust issues. But before she could help Santana, Holly wanted to find out what made Santana behave the way she did. She already had her suspicions. It was hard to get Santana to talk about her feelings but Holly was determined to see Santana smiling sincerely and not the fake smile she put on for publicity. And then again Santana remembered the question she asked herself seconds ago.

"Brittany?"

"Yeah, Santana?"

"Are we friends?" Santana looked down, afraid to hear the answer.

"That depends. Do you want us to be friends?" Brittany looked expectantly at Santana. Santana could see the hopeful glimmer in Brittany's eyes. She wanted to say yes but the small voice in her head was asking 'what if?' but Santana tried to ignore the voice. She definitely wanted to be Brittany's friend. It took her too much time to answer though and Brittany's happy expression faded. She looked down disappointed.

"Oh." It was bearably audible for Santana but she regretted immediately taking too long to answer a question to which the answer was so obvious. Santana put her drink onto the table and kneeled in front of Brittany. She hesitated but took Brittany's hands in hers.

"Look at me." She whispered. Brittany looked up and locked eyes with Santana. "I-I want us to be friends. It's just that I have big trust issues because everyone in my life either disappointed me or left. That's what always happened. Holly and Sam are my only constant. The only two people I would trust with my life. Brittany, I don't know what keeps me so honest around you, nor can I explain the effect you have on me, but I do like you and if you would give me the honor I would like to be one of your friends." Brittany smiled and nodded. "Is that a yes?" Santana asked.

"It is definitely a yes." Brittany stood up and pulled Santana into a tight hug which caught Santana off guard, but soon she wrapped her arms around Brittany's waist and hugged her back. "Do you wanna join the others?" Brittany mumbled into Santana's hair. Santana groaned at the thought of having to face Rachel again.

"Is this Rachel girl always so… let's call it extravagant before I say something really mean." Brittany chuckled and nodded. She took another sip from her drink and then she sat back down on her chair.

"She is most of the time really annoying. Yes. But you'll get used to it."

"How do you ignore the feeling to want to strangulate her all the time? I mean I gave her an autograph today. She approached me and said 'hi I am Rachel Berry future Broadway star. Here is my card, if you want you can call me anytime. But not after ten o'clock because I have a sleeping schedule that can't be rearranged in order to rest my vocal chords'. I seriously wanted to take my chair and beat her up with it. I saw Sam and Holly rolling their eyes, too. But I have met weirder people. She is just one of the weirdest but not the weirdest one."

"Santana, is Holly your mom?"

"No, I mean sort of. She is my god mother but she is more my mom than my actual mother was." Santana tried to smile but Brittany could still see the sadness in her eyes. Santana's mile didn't reach her eyes.

"Was?"

"Yeah, my mom and my dad had a car accident when I was ten. But I really don't miss them. It's like the time when they were still alive. Holly was taking care of me and they were never home. They were always working. They never knew I could sing or the few castings I joined. Holly always came with me. She was, and still is the one giving me strength." Brittany noticed the way Santana's eyes lightened up when she talked about Holly. Her smile appeared again and it was one that came from the heart.

"And then Sam came into the picture. I love both of them so much I don't know what I would do without them. What about your family?" Santana didn't ask because she wanted to change the subject. Although it was a small part of it. She was truly interested in Brittany and in her life.

"Well, I have a younger sister, and by the way she is a huge fan of you. Her whole room is decorated with posters of you. She bought all your albums and she has constantly something to say about you. Now that I'm saying it out loud it sounds kind of creepy." Brittany bit her lip embarrassed by her confession and looked down. Now Santana probably would think that her family is weird, which she didn't want at all She wanted her to like them. She could feel Santana's gaze on her and she flushed. But what surprised her the most was Santana's reaction. She started laughing.

"Huh?"

"Okay, you are way too sweet. Have you ever looked at you? Your reaction, your behavior just adorable." Brittany blushed even more and Santana caught herself blushing, too. She cleared her throat. "You sister is harmless in comparison to other fans. Right now we are living in a tour bus. I didn't like the motel here. The fans haven't spotted the bus, at least not yet. And when they do there's going to be a riot. So anyway many fans follow me, and are literally stalking me. Believe me, I envy your normal life. I can't remember the last time I went somewhere without having to dress like a criminal."

"You're not missing anything special. I'm sure you have better stories to tell. I go to McKinley high and Quinn and I are cheerleaders, and we joined glee club because of our coach. She hates Mr. Shuester, the glee club's teacher but I learned to love it and so did Quinn. So we don't really do anything to help destroy the club. After all glee club is like family."

"It sounds more chilled than my life. I don't have a moment to myself without being approached by fans and I get followed by journalists and photographers. Sometimes even without me noticing them. Holly isn't just my god mother, she is also mine and Sam's private teacher. So every morning we get up, have our lessons and then we have to go to our appointments. Tomorrow, for example, I have rehearsals. Monday I have a photo shoot, and again, rehearsals for my tour's last concert and whatever else Shelby is planning. I love the attention and everything, I really do, but sometimes I want normality. I've even been thinking about attending a public school."

"But attending a public school will give you even less privacy."

"I know but at least it will be a step towards normality and I want it."

"Sounds reasonable, but your life sounds really exciting to me, although I don't think I would like to be famous. I dunno, I like it when I have time for myself. But I really do understand what you mean though. I like normality, too." Brittany said and took another sip from her drink.

"That's what you did." Santana almost whispered.

"Did what?" Brittany asked confused.

"You made me feel normal. You were honest with me. When you pulled me into that closet and you said you don't know what to think of me, I felt like you were the only one being honest with me besides Holly, Sam and Shelby. You have no idea how many false friends I have had."

"Then I'm happy to make you feel good." Brittany grinned when suddenly a loud sound of something breaking echoed through the house followed by an even louder laughter. The girls turned their heads to the door startled. Santana raised an eyebrow and turned to face Brittany again.

"Curious to see what happened?" Brittany asked. Santana nodded and followed Brittany who started walking towards the living room. They stopped and leant against the doorframe to see what happened. Puck and Rachel were rolling around on the floor laughing. Rachel was clutching her stomach to ease some of the pain from the laughing and Puck was wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. Next to them was lying a broken chair. Mercedes was filming everything and tried to hold the laughter back and failing miserably.

"Hey, look." Brittany pointed at the sofa. Quinn was sitting on Sam's lap. They were making out and didn't seem to be distracted by the wasted group making noises. Santana raised an eyebrow and grinned. She hadn't thought that this thing between Quinn and Sam would develop so quickly because of the shyness. But when she looked at the coffee table in front of them full of empty bottles of alcohol she knew that she and Brittany were pretty much the only sober ones left.

"I think they're wasted." Santana shrugged.

"Well, aren't you mad at him for making out with Quinn?" Brittany turned to Santana and looked at her frowning.

"Why should I be mad?" Santana raised an eyebrow as to what Brittany was talking about. She had no idea what Brittany meant.

"You should be mad because he is your boyfriend, isn't he?" Only took Santana minute to burst out into laughter after hearing Brittany's concern. After a while she started clutching her stomach like Rachel did before because her belly started hurting. Brittany pouted in response.

"Oh my god, please don't pout." Santana stroked Brittany's cheek till her pout disappeared and got replaced with a small smile. "I'm not laughing at you." Santana said softly. "Sam is my best friend not my boyfriend. You have no idea how many people assume that. But no, I repeat that for the umpteenth time he is not my boyfriend. I could never be with him. He is like my brother. It would just feel weird."

"Okay." Brittany said softly. The girls' eyes locked. Brittany felt chills run down her spine. Her chest filled with a warm feeling and she felt her whole body tingling. She felt good and a smile appeared on her face. A smile so bright that Santana had to smile, too and her smile was almost as bright as Brittany's. Santana on the other hand felt the same things Brittany felt. The difference was that she felt weird for having these feelings. And what scared her was that she didn't know why.

"Hey, are you two going to stay there forever or are you going to sit with me on the sofa." Sam said from the other side of the living room. Santana and Brittany turned their heads towards Sam. Quinn passed them and went upstairs. "Yeah, I am talking to you two." Sam said again. Santana grabbed Brittany's wrist gently and pulled her to the sofa. They let themselves fall onto the comfortable furniture. Sam threw an arm over Santana's shoulder and Santana snuggled into him.

"Enjoying the party?" Santana teased. Sam flushed a little but nodded.

"You?" Sam asked and Santana looked at Brittany. She smiled and nodded.

"Hey, let's twitter something." Santana pulled her iPhone out and pulled Brittany closer. "Do you have twitter, Brittany?"

"Yeah."

"Wait a second." Santana searched for Brittany and followed her after finding her. "Okay and now you two smile." Santana held her iPhone in front of them and took a picture with all of them grinning like fools. She showed Sam and Brittany the picture and they nodded.

**SantanaLopez: Having a great time in Lima with SamE and BrittanySPierce. Guys meet our new friend Brittany :)**

"Should I be worried now?" Brittany asked.

"I don't think so." Santana smiled.

"Okay, good."

"Hey, what's up?" Quinn fell on the sofa next to Sam and put her head on his shoulder.

"Santana, just twittered a picture of us. Totally awesome." Brittany said enthusiastically causing Santana to giggle. "Show her, Santana." Santana rolled her eyes jokingly and showed Quinn the picture. Quinn just nodded.

"Hey Britt, do you want to head home? I'm tired and I can't listen to Rachel's voice anymore. And besides I can feel the booze and I have a light headache."

"I thought we didn't want to get tipsy, Q?" Brittany pouted. She didn't want to go. She wanted to stay with Santana and Sam.

"Yeah, I'm sorry we did shots while you two were in the kitchen and I may have had more than I wanted to."

"Fine. Grab your coat and we can head off." Quinn nodded and stood up a little too quickly for her liking and the room started spinning.

"Wait, do you need a ride? I mean you haven't got a car." Santana offered and looked at Brittany. Brittany looked around the room. Everyone was drunk so no one could give them a ride.

"That would be very nice of you." Brittany said softly. Santana stood up and extended her hand for Brittany to take. She helped her up.

"Sam, car keys. You're not driving, you've had too much." Santana demanded. Sam grabbed in his pocket, pulled the keys out and handed them Santana and stood up too.

"Puck, we're going." Brittany yelled causing Puck to approach them.

"Really? You can still stay." The last statement was turned to Santana. He winked at her and Santana sighed.

"I am so sorry but no." Santana said sarcastically. She put her hand on her chest dramatically and tried to give him her best pout. Both of her actions were so fake that Puck actually started feeling uncomfortable under Santana's dirty gaze. Brittany held her hand over her mouth to hold back her laughter because Santana was the first girl who wasn't reacting well to Puck's flirting. Even Quinn went out with him and she was incredibly prude. Brittany on the other side has slept with almost every guy in the school's football team and has made out with heaps of the students at McKinley, even girls. Puck nodded and walked them to the door.

* * *

"Thanks for coming and it was nice to meet you." Puck said awkwardly. Sam, Santana, Quinn and Brittany said their goodbyes and got into the car. Sam and Quinn sat into the back and Santana and Brittany got the front seats. Brittany gave Santana her address and Santana started the engine. The car ride was quiet. Sam and Quinn fell asleep and the radio was playing softly.

"They look cute together." Brittany whispered after looking back at the sleeping duo.

"I know, right? But they were really fast with making out." Santana laughed silently. Brittany shrugged.

"They were drunk."

"Yeah, I guess." Santana pulled into a street with houses which all looked the same. They were white with big backyards and tall wooden fences were parting every lot. The only difference was that every back yard was decorated differently and some houses had flowers on the front porch. Santana parked the car in front of the neatest house. It stood out from all the other houses. It had many flowers on the front porch in every imaginable color and a garden swing with light blue and purple pillows on it. The lights were out and a black jeep was parked in the driveway.

"Is this your house?" Brittany nodded. "Go unlock the door. I will help Quinn upstairs." Brittany nodded again and got out of the car. Santana got out, too and opened Quinn's door. She bent over and shook the girl lightly. "Quinn, wake up. C'mere I am going to help you upstairs." Quinn rubbed her eyes and let Santana help her out of the car. Santana threw Quinn's arm over her shoulder and tried to walk properly while Quinn was leaning all her weight on Santana.

"She's pretty heavy for her height." Santana laughed when she entered Brittany's house. Brittany giggled and showed Santana the way to her room. Together they helped Quinn onto the bed. The room was dark, only the light from the hall was illuminating the room.

"Thanks for the ride and for helping with Quinn." Brittany whispered.

"No problem, you helped me too." Santana looked at Brittany's walls. They were covered with Polaroid pictures. Some were of Quinn and the other guys Santana met at the party. There were a few pictures of an overweight cat. One especially caught Santana's attention while she looked over the pictures. It was a black and white picture of Brittany. She was looking down and her hair was covering a part of her face. One of Brittany's hands was in her hair holding it back from covering her face even more and she was smiling. Santana pointed at the picture.

"Wow, the picture is so beautiful." Santana paused. "You are beautiful."

"Thank you. You're really pretty, too." Brittany smiled. Brittany turned around and walked towards her desk. She opened a drawer and took an instant picture camera out and walked back to Santana. "I like taking pictures. Especially when they show people I like. My friends, my family and stuff I like."

Brittany put an arm around Santana's waist and pulled the shorter girl closer. Santana's heart started beating faster and she could feel the heat in her cheeks increasing. "Smile." Brittany whispered and leant her head against Santana's. Both girls smiled and then the flashlight illuminated the dark room. "Stay still." Brittany whispered and after the picture got out of the camera she took a second, which looked the same as the first. She handed one to Santana. "One for you and one for me. Don't forget me."

"I won't. I promise." Santana looked at the picture and smiled. They both looked really pretty on it. Santana saw her smile and it looked sincere. She also looked happy on the picture and so did Brittany. "So I have to go now. Sam is sleeping in the car and I have to get him into bed."

"Okay. I'll walk you to the door." Brittany closed her bedroom's door and walked Santana to the door.

"Goodnight Brittany. I had a lot of fun with you today."

"Goodnight Santana, and yeah I liked today, too." Brittany pulled Santana into a hug before Santana went back to her car and drove away.

* * *

"Sam, wake up. I can't carry you inside." Santana tried to wake Sam who was still sleeping in the car. "I swear I am going to get a bucket full of ice cold water." In matters of milliseconds Sam's eyes shot open and he jumped out of the car, knowing that Santana wasn't kidding. He had to find out once and it hadn't been a pleasant experience. "I knew you would wake up." Santana smirked. "Now move your ass inside."

"Fine." He said as her started walking towards the tour bus, Santana gave the keys back to him and they entered the tour bus. It was dark and quiet inside. Holly was probably sleeping. Sam hugged Santana, wished her goodnight and disappeared into his room. Santana walked into the kitchen area and took a bottle of water from the fridge. She walked back and sat on the couch. She took a few swigs of her water and pulled the picture of her and Brittany out of her pocket. Santana lied down and clutched the picture to her chest. And before she could think more about today and especially Brittany she fell asleep happy on the couch.

* * *

**A/N Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed :)**

**Let me know what you think either here or on my tumblr: kissinglipss. tumblr. com**


	4. Chapter 4: Happiness

**Chapter 3: Don't Forget Me**

* * *

Brittany rang the bell. She glanced at Santana to make sure that it was indeed that Santana Lopez who was standing next to her and when she made sure that she was still there smiled. No one opened the door, but Brittany knew they were inside. She could hear Rachel's voice over everyone else's. The girl was always so loud and attention seeking that if she was silent for a moment everyone assumed that she was ill. Brittany rang the bell again but this time she let her finger linger on the button. She could hear the constant ringing sound.

"For god's sake, I'm coming." She heard Puck screaming. He opened the door with a beer bottle in his hand. He almost dropped it when he saw who was standing next to Brittany. He quickly got over the shock and smirked - Brittany recognized his flirt smile. Santana turned irritated to Brittany, a confused frown gracing her features. She found this guy weird. And he was looking very strangely at her. She felt annoyed and uncomfortable when she saw him checking her out.

His gaze started from her face and proceeded to scanning her whole figure hungrily. She was used to it by now, to people looking at her strangely but this guy was more than annoying. This guy made her shift uncomfortably. Santana felt like an object. She balled her fists ready to punch the guy if he didn't avert his gaze from her. Sam took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly, trying to calm Santana. He brushed his thumb over her knuckles until Santana eased her fist and let Sam grip her hand softly as a calming feeling washed over her.

Sam prayed to god that this guy would stop looking at Santana this way because he knew Santana wouldn't back off from using violence. And she had some pretty hard punches. And after many years of training with Joe, her punches had gotten harder. Not that he would let this guy anything to his sister. Brittany cleared her throat after noticing Santana's anger. She didn't blame her, though. Puck was staring at her like a lion stares hungrily at a zebra before it starts hunting.

"Are you going to let us in or do we have to freeze?" She pushed Puck aside, grabbed Santana's free hand and pulled her inside. Santana could still feel Puck's gaze on her.

"Hi, I'm Noah Puckerman. But everyone calls me Puck or Puckerman. Lemme take your coat." Puck offered to Santana. He didn't let her answer. He just took her coat and threw it over a chair. He ran his hand through his Mohawk. Santana had enough. She gave him a dirty look and followed Brittany who started walking towards the living room.

"I'm sorry about him. He is always like that." Brittany whispered.

"Don't be sorry. He seems like an asshole. But let's ignore him and have some fun. Now introduce me to your other friends." Brittany smiled at Santana and nodded. They stepped into the living room. Brittany saw Rachel standing in front of the television singing a duet with Blaine. Mercedes was chatting with Kurt. Tina and Mike were making out and Finn was pulling his shirt over his head while Artie was sitting in a corner on his wheelchair playing some game on his phone.

"Hey guys." Brittany greeted the group. "This is Santana." Quinn and Sam stepped into the living room. "And this is Sam." And then Brittany started introducing Santana and Sam to everyone else in the room.

"Brittany we know who they are." Santana recognized the annoying girl from the mall. Rachel- Berry- future- Broadway- star. Santana scowled and rolled her eyes.

"Hello Rachel." She said unenthusiastically.

"You remember me?" Rachel's eyes widened.

"Yeah, I usually remember weird people." Laughter echoed through the room and Rachel's jaw dropped.

"That was really good, girl." Mercedes said.

"I just keep it real." Santana shrugged.

"Come with me." Brittany whispered and Santana followed her. Brittany led her into a kitchen. It was a small kitchen with only table and a few chairs standing in it. "Do you want something to drink?" Santana took a seat on one of the chairs.

"Yes." Santana watched Brittany mixing some drinks. For a moment she took in Brittany's appearance. Santana noticed how pretty Brittany was. Her long, golden locks falling loosely around her shoulders as she bent forward to grab some bottles. Her crystal blue eyes seemed so sincere that Santana had to be honest around her. Her pink lips looking even prettier with her milky skin and her freckles giving her face a really cute touch.

Santana felt her stomach tighten. She shook her head quickly after realizing how she was looking at Brittany. She squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. Was it a good idea to come here with Brittany? She didn't know her. Neither did she know Quinn. Could she trust them? She had this feeling that she could trust Brittany. But she wasn't so sure if she could trust Quinn. And even if she couldn't trust Brittany, Santana couldn't bring herself to leave her. She liked Brittany. She was the first person who she felt like she could befriend. And besides Sam, Brittany seemed like a sincere friend. It was impossible for Santana to think of Brittany betraying her. Wait, was Brittany Santana's friend? After all she had just met them.

"Santana?" Santana shook her head and opened her eyes. Brittany was standing in front of her with two red plastic cups.

"Um, sorry I spaced out." Santana took one cup and took a sip. Brittany took a seat next to Santana.

"Does that happen often?" Brittany raised an eyebrow.

"I hope not." Santana laughed and took another sip. For a while the girls just sat there. Santana was unsure how to act around Brittany. She was nervous to say something wrong that will cause Brittany to not want to be her friend. After all Santana was complicated and her attitude made it difficult for people to handle her. Many couldn't deal with her honesty and her mean remarks. Santana wasn't afraid to give people crap and she didn't back off from saying the truth.

Holly was the only one who speculated about the reasons behind Santana's anger, sadness and trust issues. But before she could help Santana, Holly wanted to find out what made Santana behave the way she did. She already had her suspicions. It was hard to get Santana to talk about her feelings but Holly was determined to see Santana smiling sincerely and not the fake smile she put on for publicity. And then again Santana remembered the question she asked herself seconds ago.

"Brittany?"

"Yeah, Santana?"

"Are we friends?" Santana looked down, afraid to hear the answer.

"That depends. Do you want us to be friends?" Brittany looked expectantly at Santana. Santana could see the hopeful glimmer in Brittany's eyes. She wanted to say yes but the small voice in her head was asking 'what if?' but Santana tried to ignore the voice. She definitely wanted to be Brittany's friend. It took her too much time to answer though and Brittany's happy expression faded. She looked down disappointed.

"Oh." It was bearably audible for Santana but she regretted immediately taking too long to answer a question to which the answer was so obvious. Santana put her drink onto the table and kneeled in front of Brittany. She hesitated but took Brittany's hands in hers.

"Look at me." She whispered. Brittany looked up and locked eyes with Santana. "I-I want us to be friends. It's just that I have big trust issues because everyone in my life either disappointed me or left. That's what always happened. Holly and Sam are my only constant. The only two people I would trust with my life. Brittany, I don't know what keeps me so honest around you, nor can I explain the effect you have on me, but I do like you and if you would give me the honor I would like to be one of your friends." Brittany smiled and nodded. "Is that a yes?" Santana asked.

"It is definitely a yes." Brittany stood up and pulled Santana into a tight hug which caught Santana off guard, but soon she wrapped her arms around Brittany's waist and hugged her back. "Do you wanna join the others?" Brittany mumbled into Santana's hair. Santana groaned at the thought of having to face Rachel again.

"Is this Rachel girl always so… let's call it extravagant before I say something really mean." Brittany chuckled and nodded. She took another sip from her drink and then she sat back down on her chair.

"She is most of the time really annoying. Yes. But you'll get used to it."

"How do you ignore the feeling to want to strangulate her all the time? I mean I gave her an autograph today. She approached me and said 'hi I am Rachel Berry future Broadway star. Here is my card, if you want you can call me anytime. But not after ten o'clock because I have a sleeping schedule that can't be rearranged in order to rest my vocal chords'. I seriously wanted to take my chair and beat her up with it. I saw Sam and Holly rolling their eyes, too. But I have met weirder people. She is just one of the weirdest but not the weirdest one."

"Santana, is Holly your mom?"

"No, I mean sort of. She is my god mother but she is more my mom than my actual mother was." Santana tried to smile but Brittany could still see the sadness in her eyes. Santana's mile didn't reach her eyes.

"Was?"

"Yeah, my mom and my dad had a car accident when I was ten. But I really don't miss them. It's like the time when they were still alive. Holly was taking care of me and they were never home. They were always working. They never knew I could sing or the few castings I joined. Holly always came with me. She was, and still is the one giving me strength." Brittany noticed the way Santana's eyes lightened up when she talked about Holly. Her smile appeared again and it was one that came from the heart.

"And then Sam came into the picture. I love both of them so much I don't know what I would do without them. What about your family?" Santana didn't ask because she wanted to change the subject. Although it was a small part of it. She was truly interested in Brittany and in her life.

"Well, I have a younger sister, and by the way she is a huge fan of you. Her whole room is decorated with posters of you. She bought all your albums and she has constantly something to say about you. Now that I'm saying it out loud it sounds kind of creepy." Brittany bit her lip embarrassed by her confession and looked down. Now Santana probably would think that her family is weird, which she didn't want at all She wanted her to like them. She could feel Santana's gaze on her and she flushed. But what surprised her the most was Santana's reaction. She started laughing.

"Huh?"

"Okay, you are way too sweet. Have you ever looked at you? Your reaction, your behavior just adorable." Brittany blushed even more and Santana caught herself blushing, too. She cleared her throat. "You sister is harmless in comparison to other fans. Right now we are living in a tour bus. I didn't like the motel here. The fans haven't spotted the bus, at least not yet. And when they do there's going to be a riot. So anyway many fans follow me, and are literally stalking me. Believe me, I envy your normal life. I can't remember the last time I went somewhere without having to dress like a criminal."

"You're not missing anything special. I'm sure you have better stories to tell. I go to McKinley high and Quinn and I are cheerleaders, and we joined glee club because of our coach. She hates Mr. Shuester, the glee club's teacher but I learned to love it and so did Quinn. So we don't really do anything to help destroy the club. After all glee club is like family."

"It sounds more chilled than my life. I don't have a moment to myself without being approached by fans and I get followed by journalists and photographers. Sometimes even without me noticing them. Holly isn't just my god mother, she is also mine and Sam's private teacher. So every morning we get up, have our lessons and then we have to go to our appointments. Tomorrow, for example, I have rehearsals. Monday I have a photo shoot, and again, rehearsals for my tour's last concert and whatever else Shelby is planning. I love the attention and everything, I really do, but sometimes I want normality. I've even been thinking about attending a public school."

"But attending a public school will give you even less privacy."

"I know but at least it will be a step towards normality and I want it."

"Sounds reasonable, but your life sounds really exciting to me, although I don't think I would like to be famous. I dunno, I like it when I have time for myself. But I really do understand what you mean though. I like normality, too." Brittany said and took another sip from her drink.

"That's what you did." Santana almost whispered.

"Did what?" Brittany asked confused.

"You made me feel normal. You were honest with me. When you pulled me into that closet and you said you don't know what to think of me, I felt like you were the only one being honest with me besides Holly, Sam and Shelby. You have no idea how many false friends I have had."

"Then I'm happy to make you feel good." Brittany grinned when suddenly a loud sound of something breaking echoed through the house followed by an even louder laughter. The girls turned their heads to the door startled. Santana raised an eyebrow and turned to face Brittany again.

"Curious to see what happened?" Brittany asked. Santana nodded and followed Brittany who started walking towards the living room. They stopped and leant against the doorframe to see what happened. Puck and Rachel were rolling around on the floor laughing. Rachel was clutching her stomach to ease some of the pain from the laughing and Puck was wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. Next to them was lying a broken chair. Mercedes was filming everything and tried to hold the laughter back and failing miserably.

"Hey, look." Brittany pointed at the sofa. Quinn was sitting on Sam's lap. They were making out and didn't seem to be distracted by the wasted group making noises. Santana raised an eyebrow and grinned. She hadn't thought that this thing between Quinn and Sam would develop so quickly because of the shyness. But when she looked at the coffee table in front of them full of empty bottles of alcohol she knew that she and Brittany were pretty much the only sober ones left.

"I think they're wasted." Santana shrugged.

"Well, aren't you mad at him for making out with Quinn?" Brittany turned to Santana and looked at her frowning.

"Why should I be mad?" Santana raised an eyebrow as to what Brittany was talking about. She had no idea what Brittany meant.

"You should be mad because he is your boyfriend, isn't he?" Only took Santana minute to burst out into laughter after hearing Brittany's concern. After a while she started clutching her stomach like Rachel did before because her belly started hurting. Brittany pouted in response.

"Oh my god, please don't pout." Santana stroked Brittany's cheek till her pout disappeared and got replaced with a small smile. "I'm not laughing at you." Santana said softly. "Sam is my best friend not my boyfriend. You have no idea how many people assume that. But no, I repeat that for the umpteenth time he is not my boyfriend. I could never be with him. He is like my brother. It would just feel weird."

"Okay." Brittany said softly. The girls' eyes locked. Brittany felt chills run down her spine. Her chest filled with a warm feeling and she felt her whole body tingling. She felt good and a smile appeared on her face. A smile so bright that Santana had to smile, too and her smile was almost as bright as Brittany's. Santana on the other hand felt the same things Brittany felt. The difference was that she felt weird for having these feelings. And what scared her was that she didn't know why.

"Hey, are you two going to stay there forever or are you going to sit with me on the sofa." Sam said from the other side of the living room. Santana and Brittany turned their heads towards Sam. Quinn passed them and went upstairs. "Yeah, I am talking to you two." Sam said again. Santana grabbed Brittany's wrist gently and pulled her to the sofa. They let themselves fall onto the comfortable furniture. Sam threw an arm over Santana's shoulder and Santana snuggled into him.

"Enjoying the party?" Santana teased. Sam flushed a little but nodded.

"You?" Sam asked and Santana looked at Brittany. She smiled and nodded.

"Hey, let's twitter something." Santana pulled her iPhone out and pulled Brittany closer. "Do you have twitter, Brittany?"

"Yeah."

"Wait a second." Santana searched for Brittany and followed her after finding her. "Okay and now you two smile." Santana held her iPhone in front of them and took a picture with all of them grinning like fools. She showed Sam and Brittany the picture and they nodded.

**SantanaLopez: Having a great time in Lima with SamE and BrittanySPierce. Guys meet our new friend Brittany :)**

"Should I be worried now?" Brittany asked.

"I don't think so." Santana smiled.

"Okay, good."

"Hey, what's up?" Quinn fell on the sofa next to Sam and put her head on his shoulder.

"Santana, just twittered a picture of us. Totally awesome." Brittany said enthusiastically causing Santana to giggle. "Show her, Santana." Santana rolled her eyes jokingly and showed Quinn the picture. Quinn just nodded.

"Hey Britt, do you want to head home? I'm tired and I can't listen to Rachel's voice anymore. And besides I can feel the booze and I have a light headache."

"I thought we didn't want to get tipsy, Q?" Brittany pouted. She didn't want to go. She wanted to stay with Santana and Sam.

"Yeah, I'm sorry we did shots while you two were in the kitchen and I may have had more than I wanted to."

"Fine. Grab your coat and we can head off." Quinn nodded and stood up a little too quickly for her liking and the room started spinning.

"Wait, do you need a ride? I mean you haven't got a car." Santana offered and looked at Brittany. Brittany looked around the room. Everyone was drunk so no one could give them a ride.

"That would be very nice of you." Brittany said softly. Santana stood up and extended her hand for Brittany to take. She helped her up.

"Sam, car keys. You're not driving, you've had too much." Santana demanded. Sam grabbed in his pocket, pulled the keys out and handed them Santana and stood up too.

"Puck, we're going." Brittany yelled causing Puck to approach them.

"Really? You can still stay." The last statement was turned to Santana. He winked at her and Santana sighed.

"I am so sorry but no." Santana said sarcastically. She put her hand on her chest dramatically and tried to give him her best pout. Both of her actions were so fake that Puck actually started feeling uncomfortable under Santana's dirty gaze. Brittany held her hand over her mouth to hold back her laughter because Santana was the first girl who wasn't reacting well to Puck's flirting. Even Quinn went out with him and she was incredibly prude. Brittany on the other side has slept with almost every guy in the school's football team and has made out with heaps of the students at McKinley, even girls. Puck nodded and walked them to the door.

* * *

"Thanks for coming and it was nice to meet you." Puck said awkwardly. Sam, Santana, Quinn and Brittany said their goodbyes and got into the car. Sam and Quinn sat into the back and Santana and Brittany got the front seats. Brittany gave Santana her address and Santana started the engine. The car ride was quiet. Sam and Quinn fell asleep and the radio was playing softly.

"They look cute together." Brittany whispered after looking back at the sleeping duo.

"I know, right? But they were really fast with making out." Santana laughed silently. Brittany shrugged.

"They were drunk."

"Yeah, I guess." Santana pulled into a street with houses which all looked the same. They were white with big backyards and tall wooden fences were parting every lot. The only difference was that every back yard was decorated differently and some houses had flowers on the front porch. Santana parked the car in front of the neatest house. It stood out from all the other houses. It had many flowers on the front porch in every imaginable color and a garden swing with light blue and purple pillows on it. The lights were out and a black jeep was parked in the driveway.

"Is this your house?" Brittany nodded. "Go unlock the door. I will help Quinn upstairs." Brittany nodded again and got out of the car. Santana got out, too and opened Quinn's door. She bent over and shook the girl lightly. "Quinn, wake up. C'mere I am going to help you upstairs." Quinn rubbed her eyes and let Santana help her out of the car. Santana threw Quinn's arm over her shoulder and tried to walk properly while Quinn was leaning all her weight on Santana.

"She's pretty heavy for her height." Santana laughed when she entered Brittany's house. Brittany giggled and showed Santana the way to her room. Together they helped Quinn onto the bed. The room was dark, only the light from the hall was illuminating the room.

"Thanks for the ride and for helping with Quinn." Brittany whispered.

"No problem, you helped me too." Santana looked at Brittany's walls. They were covered with Polaroid pictures. Some were of Quinn and the other guys Santana met at the party. There were a few pictures of an overweight cat. One especially caught Santana's attention while she looked over the pictures. It was a black and white picture of Brittany. She was looking down and her hair was covering a part of her face. One of Brittany's hands was in her hair holding it back from covering her face even more and she was smiling. Santana pointed at the picture.

"Wow, the picture is so beautiful." Santana paused. "You are beautiful."

"Thank you. You're really pretty, too." Brittany smiled. Brittany turned around and walked towards her desk. She opened a drawer and took an instant picture camera out and walked back to Santana. "I like taking pictures. Especially when they show people I like. My friends, my family and stuff I like."

Brittany put an arm around Santana's waist and pulled the shorter girl closer. Santana's heart started beating faster and she could feel the heat in her cheeks increasing. "Smile." Brittany whispered and leant her head against Santana's. Both girls smiled and then the flashlight illuminated the dark room. "Stay still." Brittany whispered and after the picture got out of the camera she took a second, which looked the same as the first. She handed one to Santana. "One for you and one for me. Don't forget me."

"I won't. I promise." Santana looked at the picture and smiled. They both looked really pretty on it. Santana saw her smile and it looked sincere. She also looked happy on the picture and so did Brittany. "So I have to go now. Sam is sleeping in the car and I have to get him into bed."

"Okay. I'll walk you to the door." Brittany closed her bedroom's door and walked Santana to the door.

"Goodnight Brittany. I had a lot of fun with you today."

"Goodnight Santana, and yeah I liked today, too." Brittany pulled Santana into a hug before Santana went back to her car and drove away.

* * *

"Sam, wake up. I can't carry you inside." Santana tried to wake Sam who was still sleeping in the car. "I swear I am going to get a bucket full of ice cold water." In matters of milliseconds Sam's eyes shot open and he jumped out of the car, knowing that Santana wasn't kidding. He had to find out once and it hadn't been a pleasant experience. "I knew you would wake up." Santana smirked. "Now move your ass inside."

"Fine." He said as her started walking towards the tour bus, Santana gave the keys back to him and they entered the tour bus. It was dark and quiet inside. Holly was probably sleeping. Sam hugged Santana, wished her goodnight and disappeared into his room. Santana walked into the kitchen area and took a bottle of water from the fridge. She walked back and sat on the couch. She took a few swigs of her water and pulled the picture of her and Brittany out of her pocket. Santana lied down and clutched the picture to her chest. And before she could think more about today and especially Brittany she fell asleep happy on the couch.

* * *

**A/N Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed :)**

**Let me know what you think either here or on my tumblr: kissinglipss. tumblr. com**


	5. Chapter 5: Surprise

**Chapter 5: Surprise**

* * *

It was way too early to wake up and be forced to go to school, especially after the amazing weekend that Brittany had just enjoyed so much. It was like she was in a little bubble with Santana. Meeting her was one of the best experiences Brittany ever had. Santana was so kind and so sweet towards Brittany that she couldn't believe her luck after what she had said to Santana the first day she met her. It was almost too good to be true.

She'd had to come home at night because Santana's fans were waiting outside the bus for so long, but when she finally got home Stacey was waiting for Brittany, wide awake. She wanted to know everything about her day with Santana. But Brittany had no idea what to tell her. Should she start with how nice Santana was and how amazing she sounds when she's singing live or with the truth about Santana's feelings and thoughts about her life? Should she start that after they ate the pasta -Holly had made- they spent the whole time chatting on Santana's couch while their pinkies were intertwined and they never pulled away? Should she start that Brittany felt amazing when she was with Santana because no one had ever treated her so nice and so respectfully like Santana did?

Not even Quinn, Brittany's best friend behaved like that with her. Brittany was a little slow and Quinn wasn't that patient with her. So she answered Stacey's question with a shrug and a smile and said that she had fun. Stacey wasn't happy with the answer but she was too tired to argue with her older sister and went to bed. All in all, Brittany loved it so much with Santana that the next Monday morning she woke up grumpy for the first time ever because she didn't want to go to school, despite how much she actually liked school. She didn't want to face the world after her amazing weekend. She wanted to stay in the little bubble her and Santana had created but she had no choice.

She woke up in the morning and instantly thought of the day before. A smile tugged on her lips and the grumpy mood shifted to happy and excited. She brushed her teeth and put her Cheerios uniform on and bounced the stairs down. She greeted both her parents with a kiss on the cheek and stormed out of the house without saying another word where Quinn was already waiting for her.

"Hey, Quinnie the Pooh." She said when she got into the car. Quinn gave her a confused look and started the engine.

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know, you have to answer the question not me. Anyway. How was it yesterday with Santana?" And right after this question left Quinn's mouth a wide grin appeared on Brittany's face.

"It was nice and we had fun." Was all Brittany said. For some reason she wanted to keep the things that she did with Santana to herself. That's why she didn't tell anyone about their meeting. She didn't know why but she wanted the things between her and Santana to stay between the two of them. It's no one's business what they were talking about and what not.

"That's all? You spent the whole Sunday with Santana fucking Lopez, a celebrity. There are people outside who would kill just to see her one time and you had fun is the only thing you tell me? Brittany, what the hell?" Quinn was a little frustrated because she was a Lopez- fan. Brittany never liked Santana and she got the chance to spend time with her. To say that she was jealous was obvious. She sighed and decided to just drop it because she knew she wouldn't get an answer anytime soon. Brittany was a pro at keeping things to herself. Sure sometimes she blurted things out but not things that affected people and most importantly she never blurted things out intentionally. Secrets were safe- Brittany just said honest things about people without wanting to harm them.

Brittany just didn't understand why everyone was making such a big deal out of it. Yeah, she spent time with Santana and they became friends. Santana was a normal person after all and the attitude Quinn had towards Santana was exactly what Santana hated. And it was the reason why she was craving having a normal life because people treated Santana differently from other people. She was sick of it and Brittany understood more and more what Santana meant by her wish. After a few minutes the girls arrived at McKinley High and Quinn parked her car. When they entered the building, a mass of students approached Brittany. Both girls, Quinn and Brittany were confused and had no idea what was going on. They were popular at McKinley but people usually avoided them because they feared Quinn. But after hearing the students' questions about Santana, Quinn knew what was going on.

"Quinn, why do they know about Santana and me?" Brittany asked confused.

"The tweet, Britt." She whispered and it clicked. "All right, idiots. Back the fuck off before I do something that I will regret. I'm too pretty for jail." She yelled and pushed Brittany and her through the crowd.

"Shit, I forgot about the tweet." Brittany mumbled and opened her locker. She sighed and took the books for her next lesson. "And now I know how Santana's feeling." Brittany mumbled to herself.

* * *

Santana was sitting on a chair playing with her iPhone while some guy was applying make-up on her face for the photo shoot. Sam was sitting next to her and he was getting ready too. It was a shoot for a magazine and afterwards she had an interview- with Sam of course. There weren't many interviews with only Santana. Sam was always there and the journalists knew that when they asked for interviews. Most of the time it was either Santana and Sam or there was no interview at all. Santana stood up and looked one last time into the mirror. She was wearing a simple, white dress which reached her tights and she was barefoot. Sam was wearing a white button down shirt with a silver tie, white trousers and he was barefoot too. He stepped next to Santana and looked at her in the mirror.

"You look very pretty." He said.

"Thank you and you are very handsome."

"Thank you. Why are you smiling?"

"I don't know. I'm just happy I guess."

"That's nice to hear. Let's go, the shoot is starting." Sam put his arm around Santana's shoulder and they started walking towards the hall. Holly was leaning against the door frame and smiled at them.

"C'mere you two." She engulfed them into a hug. "I love you two so much and I am so proud of you." She whispered and a few tears ran her cheeks down. Santana and Sam returned the hug and said that they love her, too. The moment got a little emotional but Santana and Sam were indeed like children for Holly. She hadn't known Sam for as long as she knew Santana but she had a big heart and Sam was now part of their little family. But she was especially proud of Santana because she reached so much just by believing in herself and doing what she loved. Holly was just there to sign a few papers since Santana was still underage.

"Okay, enough with the emotional crap." Santana said and pulled away. She wiped a tear away quickly before anyone saw it. Gladly this guy who applied make-up on her earlier had used waterproof mascara. She took Sam's and Holly's hand and pulled them into the room where the shooting would take place. It was a simple shoot with white backgrounds. Silver threads were hanging from the ceiling and created a mystery and magical atmosphere and the whole scenario with the white and silver shades let it seem innocent and beautiful. It reminded Santana of Christmas. Santana turned to Sam. She pulled him closer and adjusted his tie. He thanked her and kissed her forehead. Mrs. Lawrence the photographer gave them instruction and after turning on some music the shoot started.

* * *

After the shoot Sam and Santana changed back into their normal clothes and a middle aged woman led them into another room that was much cozier. It was an office but it would look like a living room if it hadn't a desk in it. Santana and Sam sat onto one sofa and Holly sat right next to them. Another woman who introduced herself as Nicole was the interviewer. She put a recorder on the coffee table before them.

"So, Santana thank you for taking time for us and of course Sam."

"No problem, we're happy to be here." Santana smiled. Santana's voice was dripping with fake kindness and she was surprised by herself. Being nice to people was not Santana's usual behavior and she didn't want to start with it. And especially not around this Nicole. Santana sensed from the very first moment that this Nicole wanted a story- a gossip story that would make Santana look bad. But for her image's sake she had to be nice to this woman. The interview started with small talk and some questions about Santana's tour and her new album she was working on.

"So, Santana we saw before and during the shooting that you and Sam are very affectionate with each other. What do you have to say to the rumor about you two dating?" Right after this question Santana, Sam and Holly burst into laughter. It wasn't that Santana didn't expect this question at all but the fact that after hearing it so many times, it still sounded so funny and ridiculous. And even after so many times of denying everyone continued asking them. Obviously Nicole didn't find it so funny because she kept staring at the trio confused.

"You said it already. It is a rumor. Sam is like a brother to me. Just the idea of dating him- 'my brother'- feels weird. Yeah, we are very affectionate with each other but he is a family member to me and I don't want to change it." Santana said after she had calmed down.

"Okay, what about your dating life then?" Santana hated those questions. It was no one's business to know who she is dating and who not. And even if she was dating anyone, what is Nicole going to do with the information? It will appear in the article and then everyone will know about it. You can't just ask a person you don't even know, about their dating life. There are just going to be more rumors and people will start commenting on her every little step. Not that people didn't do that already but Santana wanted to keep the things she did behind closed doors to stay in private just like every other celebrity.

So when Nicole asked if she was dating anyone the answer was no. But a blonde girl came into her mind and Santana's heart beat increased. She looked down at her pinky and it felt as if there was missing something. Remembering the warm, tickling feeling she felt when her pinky was intertwined with Brittany's she sighed. Holly, Sam and Nicole looked at Santana confused. Suddenly Santana remembered where she was and what question she had to answer.

"Um… Can we take a break?" Came out instead of a simple no. Nicole nodded and paused the record. Santana stood up quickly taking her purse with her and rushed out of the office into the ladies' restroom. She let the cold water run and then splashed some onto her face. The chilly water helped her controlling her breathing. After a few minutes of silence Santana opened her purse took her wallet out and grabbed the picture of her and Brittany.

Immediately after seeing Brittany's smiling face a wave of calmness washed through Santana's body and her heart beat slowed down. A small smile appeared on her face and she touched Brittany's face on the picture with her pointer. Softly stroking the outlines of Brittany's features she remembered Sunday and in general the amazing weekend she spent with Brittany. She was lucky for finding such a great friend- besides Sam of course. She wanted to see her again but she had so many appointments and private lessons, and she couldn't spare the time until Friday. She had barely time for sleeping and slowly she felt like her body was falling apart.

"Santana, honey, are you okay?" Holly came into the restroom and saw Santana grinning at a picture.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just needed some time." Santana looked back at the picture. Holly walked closer and looked at it.

"When did you take this picture?"

"Saturday after the party."

"She's a really nice girl."

"I know. She's sunshine, she's smiling all the time. But let's go back." Santana smiled genuinely and put the picture back into her purse. She took Holly's hand and pulled her with her back into Nicole's office where Nicole and Sam were waiting patiently. Santana and Holly took their previous seats and after Santana gave Nicole a nod to continue the interview, Nicole pushed the record button.

"So, you asked me if I was seeing someone." Nicole nodded. "No, I'm not seeing anyone right now. I'm very busy and have no time for dates and such stuff. Besides I want to concentrate on my career and I can't afford any distraction that keeps me from working on projects and in general from work." Santana said confidently. Nicole was surprised by her answer and so was Holly. She has never seen Santana so sure of something before and she liked this side of her. The determined look and the confident voice even if she was lying everyone would've believed her.

"That sounds very reasonable. So that was all for this interview. Thank you very much, again for taking time for me. It was a pleasure to meet all of you."

"Likewise." Santana said and stood up to leave. The smile that followed the likewise was fake. Nicole got on the wrong side of Santana with the dating question, and Holly was pretty sure that Santana wouldn't agree on a second interview as long as Nicole would be the interviewer. Once you messed it up with Santana you didn't get a second chance unless you are very special to her. But this was almost impossible. Sam and Holly said their goodbyes and the trio left the building.

"Never again." Santana said after she got into the passenger seat of Holly's car.

"Oh, come on, honey, it wasn't that bad." Holly replied.

"I know but why does everyone always have to ask about my dating life? It is none of their businesses. I hate people like her. I don't ask them about their dating life, so why do they ask me?"

"I know you do, sweetie and you have the right to be angry but Nicole was doing her job and your answer was very professional. You always are, but the answer caught me off guard to be honest."

"But still, I don't want anyone to mess with my private life no matter if it's their job or not." Santana shrugged and looked out of the window. Holly was right, the interview wasn't bad at all but the dating question bothered Santana. But it bothered her more that she had to think about Brittany when Nicole asked the dating question. Brittany was just her friend and even though she thought of her straight away it, was just a coincidence, surely. And whatever the reason was, it sure had no other meaning. Brittany was just her friend, it was only coincidence. No need to worry. Santana repeated these sentences in her head like a mantra. It was easy and before she could continue her thoughts they arrived at the arena for the rehearsals.

"Go inside I have some errands to run. I'll see you later." Holly said. Santana nodded and got out of the car. Before Sam could get out of the car, too, Holly stopped him and asked him for an address. "Thank you Sam, and don't tell Santana."

"I won't. See you later." And with that Sam got out of the car and disappeared with Santana in the arena.

* * *

Holly drove the street down slowly searching for the right house number. She looked at the piece of paper where Sam had written down the address to make sure that she was on the right street. When she saw the right house she turned off the engine after parking in front of the house. She took her purse and walked towards the entrance of the house. The door mat was proof that it was the right house. It was a black with 'The Pierce Family' written on it. Holly chuckled and rang the bell. She heard steps and then the door opened. In front of Holly stood a teenager with blonde hair just like Brittany. Holly assumed that it was Brittany's younger sister.

"Oh, my god." Stacey said. "You're Santana Lopez' god mother, aren't you?"

"Yeah, that's me." Holly smiled. After Santana became famous, Holly was a celebrity herself. As Santana's god mother and supporter in everything she did, people got to know Holly.

"Stacey, who is it?" Brittany shouted from inside and appeared next to her sister. "Oh, hey Holly. How are you?"

"Hello, Brittany. I'm fine, thank you. May I come in?" Holly asked politely.

"Of course. Come in." Brittany let Holly step in. She motioned Stacey to go upstairs and she led Holly into the kitchen. "Can I offer you something?"

"No, thank you. Actually I wanted to talk to you. Take a seat with me." Brittany nodded and the two women sat down at the kitchen table.

"What can I do for you, Holly?" Brittany smiled.

"You are indeed a sunshine."

"Huh?"

"Santana's words not mine." Holly earned a bigger smile from Brittany. She opened her purse and took an envelope out and handed it to Brittany.

"What's this?"

"Just open it." Brittany nodded and opened the envelope slowly. She squeaked when she saw the content. She sat up and hugged Holly. In the envelope were two VIP tickets for Santana's concert.

"Thank you!"

"No, I want to thank you. Since the day Santana met you she won't stop smiling. This is the first time I've seen her genuinely happy since her parents' death. She had an interview today and she was surprisingly polite, even after the interviewer asked a question that was uncomfortable for her. I knew it was fake politeness but normally she would snap at people who make her mad. You bring a genuine smile on her face and happiness in her life. So I would love to see you on Friday." Seeing Brittany's smile made Holly think that she made the right decision. And she couldn't wait to see Santana's smile after Brittany appears backstage. "Just don't tell her if you see her. I want it to be a surprise."

"I won't, Holly, I promise. And thank you." She pulled Holly again into a warm embrace and squeezed the life out of her. She was overjoyed that she would see Santana again and the concert.

"I have to leave now. But I hope that I will see you on Friday."

"I will be there." Brittany walked Holly to the front door and wished her a good week. Holly sat in her car and drove back to the arena with a good feeling. This was the first step to Santana's happiness.


	6. Chapter 6: Realization

**Chapter 6: Realization**

* * *

"Hi, Judy." Brittany smiled when Quinn's mom opened the door.

"Brittany, how are you, honey? I haven't seen you around here in days. How are your parents?" Quinn's mom smiled at her. Brittany could tell she'd come from the kitchen, by the apron that the older woman was gracing, which reminded her of how much she loved Judy's cooking, and had just about spent as much time eating here as Quinn did. Seeing as Brittany and Quinn were best friends, the two had been pretty much inseparable since they were birth, the two families having been good friends for a long time. After Quinn's dad had cheated on Judy with his secretary, the two had divorced leaving her and Quinn to move out. It didn't take long for the mother and daughter to become incredibly close. Whilst Quinn left out some topics, they talked about almost everything.

Judy stood aside while Brittany walked through the entrance way, closing the door again straight after.

"I'm fine, Judy, and so are my parents. Is Quinn here?"

"Yeah, she is upstairs in her room. Will you stay for dinner?"

"I would love to."

"I better get back to the kitchen before it all burns then."

"All right Judy, I'll be upstairs with Quinn."

Judy hurried back to the kitchen and Brittany made her way through the house and upstairs. She knocked on the door once, and heard the blonde's voice telling her to come in. "Hey, Quinn!" She walked over to the desk where Quinn was sitting at her computer and gave her a hug.

"Hey, Britt."

"Did I interrupt something?"

"No, not at all. I was bored so you came at the right time. What are you doing here anyway?" A grin appeared on Brittany's face and she opened her purse and took the two tickets out she got from Holly earlier. She held them in front of Quinn's face, who stood up, her force knocking the chair down and started jumping up and down exited. "Okay, okay, okay, I'm freaking out. I can't fucking breathe. We have VIP tickets for Santana's concert. Wait, what should I wear? Is a pair of jeans okay or is it too simple? Oh, my god, Brittany!"

Brittany was happy and relieved, seeing Quinn so excited. Lately they hadn't been able to hang out much. She'd been feeling a little guilty for leaving her alone but since Sunday morning she'd been on the end of some weird tension from Quinn, so Brittany had hoped to make it up to her with the tickets. Quinn pulled Brittany into a bone crushing hug but let go immediately. "Wait, how the hell did you manage to get tickets for Santana's concert? They were sold out in minutes."

"Oh, yeah they were indeed. But Santana gave them to me." There was again that look Brittany received from Quinn that she didn't understand. It confused Brittany. "Well actually it was Holly, Santana's god mother. She came by earlier and gave them to me." Brittany looked at her best friend, wondering where all of her excitement from 10 seconds ago had disappeared to. Quinn had already sat down on the bed with an unreadable expression.

"Don't you think your sister might want to go?" Quinn said with an undertone filled with anger, and what seemed in Brittany's eyes, like jealousy. Brittany looked at Quinn, shocked, with her jaw wide open, wondering what the hell is going on? Quinn was a huge fan of Santana and suddenly she was giving up her chance to go see her live including the entrance to the backstage area.

"Yeah she wants to go but I want to go with you." Brittany took a seat next to Quinn and took her hand in hers. "You're my best friend, why wouldn't I want to go with you?" Quinn looked down at the floor. "Q, are you okay?

"Um, y-yeah I'm sorry but I just remembered that I'm supposed to be somewhere else on Friday. I can't make it, take Stacey with you."

"No, Quinn I want to go with you. I miss hanging out with you. We barely talked since Sunday and I miss you. Please come with me. It will be so much fun and we have backstage access. Pleaaaseee, Quinnie." Brittany whined and pouted. Quinn's face was still unreadable but with a sigh she gave in eventually.

"Okay, fine I will go with you."

"Yay, it will be so much fun and we are going to get to see Santana. I missed her." And there was again the expression which Brittany couldn't make out. Quinn shook her head and sighed.

"Britt, do you have any idea what you are doing?"

"Um, I think I just invited you to go with me to Santana's concert?" Brittany asked confused. Quinn stood up and looked down at her best friend. She shook her head. "Q, you're my best friend if I did something that upset you please tell me." Quinn nodded and sat again next to Brittany.

"I'm just afraid that you're going to replace me."

"Replace you? With who?"

"Santana."

"Really, Quinn? That's what's bothering you? I would never replace you. You are my best friend and yes, I do like Santana. Very much, to be honest, but I would never replace you. You are not replaceable. We've been best friends since we were babies, I can't and I would never just throw away what we have and that's why I asked you to come with me on Friday. I love you, Quinn and you are my best friend don't ever doubt that."

"I love you, too, Britt." Quinn hugged Brittany. "So are you staying for dinner?"

"Your mom already asked me but I would love to. I love your mom's cooking!" Brittany giggled.

"I know you do." Quinn started giggling, too.

"Do you know what just came into my mind?" Brittany smiled mischievously. Quinn raised an eyebrow and shook her head. "Do you know who else is going to be at Santana's concert on Friday? There is this guy who plays in Santana's band. He is tall, blonde with huge lips and I think his name is um… Sam?" Brittany said nonchalantly.

"Shut up, Britt."

"Oh, c'mon tell me what's going on with you and Sam." Quinn shrugged.

"I don't know. We were tipsy when we were making out."

"Do you like him?"

"I don't know. I mean I met him Saturday but he's cute. And he is a really good kisser." Quinn chuckled.

"I am sure he is, I mean he has to be able to do it good with those huge lips."

"Okay, enough about Sam. What's the deal with you and Santana? Every time I or someone else mentions her name you start grinning like a fool."

"I don't know. She is just a really good friend and I really like her. She is kind and caring, she respects me and she is patient with me. I've never met someone like her." Brittany knew that maybe she liked Santana more than just a friend. But she wasn't willing to tell Quinn the truth. Whenever Brittany thought about her famous friend, a grin appeared on her face and her heart started beating faster. It was a weird feeling. Weird in a good way, it made Brittany feel good and she had never felt like this before. Santana was very pretty, smart, talented and in general really nice. Brittany liked Santana and she was worried that she might start falling for the girl, even though she only met her a few days ago and it was too early, but Santana gave Brittany enough reasons to fall for her. She didn't have a problem with it. Brittany liked people and the gender didn't matter to her. But even if she was falling in love with Santana, who said that Santana liked her the way Brittany liked Santana? Who said that Santana was bisexual or at least gay? As far as Brittany knew Santana was straight but you never know unless you ask. It would seem strange, though, if Brittany approached Santana and asked her if she was straight or not. No matter what the answer was Santana's friendship was too precious for Brittany and she didn't want to ruin it because of her feelings. And it wasn't even sure if Brittany was in love with Santana or at least on the way to falling for her. But before Brittany could make herself more insecure and confused, Quinn's mom called them down for dinner. Quinn and Brittany headed downstairs to enjoy a delicious meal and Brittany forgot her sorrows by digging in. But Brittany knew one thing for sure she wanted to spend more time with Santana.

* * *

Santana was lying on her bed in the bus looking at the picture of her and Brittany for the hundredth time at least. After the rehearsals Santana had taken a long warm shower to relax but it didn't help. The silence only made her think even more. It made her anxious what she was feeling. Brittany was a girl she met days ago. She barely knew her but it felt like the two have known each other their whole lives. Santana liked Brittany very much and whenever she was with her she felt great and her heart was jumping in her chest. It was really confusing and scary for Santana to feel this way about a girl. But Brittany was different. She understood Santana, she listened to her problems, she was cute, incredibly beautiful and looking into Brittany's gorgeous, blue orbs made Santana forget her problems and sorrows. It was really hard for Santana to accept but also to ignore what was going on. She couldn't put a label on it and it made her sick. It made her sick that she couldn't label this thing with Brittany and she thought that she was losing control. Not being in charge of something and especially herself made Santana anxious and insecure. She was scared and it was driving her insane. But she couldn't deny how good Brittany made her feel and she didn't want to ignore the girl that made her feel so special and accepted for who she truly was. She wanted to spend more time with her and get to know her better. It was as if it was physically impossible to stay away from Brittany, like two magnets that pulled each other and to be honest Santana didn't want to fight the feeling she got with Brittany. She was tired of feeling angry, mad and upset all the time. Since her parents' death, Santana worked so much trying to find distraction to ignore everyone and everything that all the negative feelings had bottled up. She hadn't told this anyone but Santana was ashamed that she didn't cry at her parents' funeral. She remembered every single moment of the day. How close friends and family were crying while the coffins were lowered into the ground. Even Holly cried. Santana just stood next to her, holding her hand and staring at the two big holes where the coffins where supposed to be buried. She was sad but she couldn't forgive her parents for the lack of appearance at their own house or for the lack of parenting.

Truth was they were never true parents. Holly was her mother and that's what Santana saw in her. A mother and a really good friend. Santana was angry that a woman who isn't even related to her cared for her more than her actual parents. But blood wasn't what made family. It was the love and Santana experienced this love from Holly from the first day of her life. But she felt guilty for hating her parents, for hating two dead people who were providing everything for her. The money they had left plus the money Santana made herself and plus the money Holly had they would never have to worry about things. And now that she had found someone for the first time who made Santana truly happy she couldn't just ignore it, could she? Brittany was like an angel who was sent to make Santana happy again. Brittany brought up so many feelings within Santana that it was overwhelming. She couldn't sit anymore she needed a distraction. Something that kept her from thinking too much. She couldn't just go out. First there was again a riot going on in front of Santana's bus and second you had no possibility to do something in a bus. So Santana just stood up and started pacing through her room and humming her songs quietly without averting her gaze from the picture of her and Brittany. Suddenly the door swung open and Sam barged into the room. Santana tried to hide the picture from him but instead of slipping it into her pocket she managed somehow to throw the picture in Sam's direction. He bent down to pick up what Santana had dropped.

"Hey, you dropped your-" He looked at the picture and grinned mischievously. "Here is your picture." He said handing it back to Santana who snapped the picture out of Sam's hands and blushed furiously.

"Ever heard of knocking, Samuel?" Santana snapped.

"Wow, chill, chica. I did knock more than once but you didn't answer." Sam took a seat on Santana's couch and looked at her.

"So you just decided to barge into my room. What if had been changing, huh?"

"First, gross! You're like my sister and second, I saw you walking out of the bathroom with your pajamas on so why would you change?" Santana was about to fight back but she didn't want to argue with Sam and certainly not about a stupid subject like knocking. She sighed and dropped onto the couch next to Sam. They just sat there in comfortable silence with Santana leaning her head against Sam's shoulder and his arm draped over her enjoying each other's company. "So, did you call her?" Sam asked out of the blue. Santana knew exactly to whom he was referring to but she decided to play stupid instead of answering his question not liking the idea of where this conversation was heading.

"Call who?" Santana replied not looking into his direction. Sam was- except from Holly- the only person who could tell exactly when Santana was lying. And right now she was and Sam looked right through her.

"Oh, come on, San. You know exactly who I was talking about." He said smiling at her but Santana still kept her mouth shut and not answering his question. "You do know that it is okay if you like her, right?" He said gently because he knew Santana. Talking about feelings with her was impossible and from what he knew for sure was that she would snap at him at any moment and if Santana started snapping no one was safe. Not even him and Holly. Santana's mind was racing. She was trying to come up with an answer that would make sense. She was still surprised how Sam could read her like an open book. Unfortunately Santana couldn't come up with an answer and she stood up quickly and started to go all bitch on Sam.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" She snapped. Sam flinched at the change of his best friend's tone. Santana put her walls back up and that was her defense mechanism when she was in denial, so Sam knew that he had guessed right about Santana's feelings.

"Calm down, San. I was just saying that you, Holly and I are family and Holly and I are perfectly fine if you like gir-"

"Sam, shut the fuck up! I don't want to hear the crap you're implying. You have no idea how I feel and you are not in the position of telling me how I should feel!" Santana started yelling and Sam jumped off of the couch and stood straight in front of her. He was hurt by Santana's lack of trust. He always thought that they could rely on each other but if Santana was so afraid of telling Sam how she felt, Sam started doubting. But he knew that Santana would eventually come to him if she wanted to talk about something so he put his selfish feelings aside because he knew if Santana was starting to get so defensive about something, it meant that it was really bugging her and she felt insecure and that made Sam want to help her even more. Santana was so angry that she couldn't even see the hurt and the worry in her best friend's eyes. Sam put his hands on either one of Santana's shoulders and looked at her softly. He had to keep calm if he wanted to bring Santana to talk to him.

"San, calm down." Santana slapped Sam's hands away.

"You tell me to calm down? You just barged into my room and told me how I should feel and now you tell me I have to calm down?" Santana continued yelling and Holly came into the room after she heard Santana's voice echoing through the whole bus.

"Guys, what is going on here?" Both teenagers looked at Holly. Santana's chest was having from anger and her hands were balled in fists. Sam on the other side was holding his hands up in defeat. He knew he didn't do anything wrong Santana just got things wrong and he was getting really angry because of Santana's behavior. His hands were now, too balled in fists.

"Nothing. I was about to leave." Sam started leaving the room. Before he walked out, though he stopped in front of the door and glanced at Santana. "Just fucking talk to me and don't push the people who love you away." And with that he walked out of the room. Holly looked at Santana.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." Santana replied and climbed onto her bed facing her wall and not Holly. Holly sighed and shook her head because of Santana's stubbornness. She knew she wouldn't get anything out of Santana by pressuring her so she just left her room and walked into the kitchen area where Sam was preparing himself a sandwich angrily.

"Are you going to tell me what this whole thing was about?" Holly took a seat at the table and waited till Sam sighed and nodded eventually.

"Santana just… I mean I walked into her room and she was there pacing and looking at this picture of her and Brittany. I think I startled her and then the picture kind of fell down somehow and I told her that it was okay if she liked Brittany after I had asked her if she had called her. She got really angry and we both know that there has to be something behind my suggestions if she freaks out so much. We know Santana and whenever she is denial of something she puts her walls up and starts pushing everyone away. Holly, I just want to help her. It seemed like it was really bugging her and I hate seeing her this way. I mean since Friday when she met Brittany she is constantly smiling. Am I the only one who noticed those things?"

"No, you're not. When Nicole asked this dating question and Santana disappeared, well she went into the restrooms. When I came in she was smiling at the picture of her and Brittany. I think, too that Santana really likes her. I want her to come to us and talk about whatever is going on with her but we both know that won't happen without pressuring her. I just don't like when she's acting this way. She knows that she can trust us but you know Santana, she doesn't say anything until she is hundred percent sure of herself." Sam put the things he used for his sandwich back into their places and joined Holly at the table. The last days they had a lot of Santana talks about different things that involved her but this was probably the most important one. Sam took a bite from his sandwich and after chewing he decided to just ask what was on his mind.

"Do you think that Santana likes girls?" Holly seemed to think about it before she answered.

"That would probably explain why she is always commenting about Eva Longoria's appearance saying that she is hot when we're watching 'Desperate Housewives' or when she said that she only watched 'Transformers' because of Megan Fox or don't forget the fact that you two still haven't hooked up." Sam choked on his bite of sandwich. He coughed and took a sip of water.

"Holly, that's gross! She is like my sister. I would never… Just the thought of her and I." Sam shuddered. "Ew, gross!"

"Calm down, Sammy. It was just a joke." Holly laughed. Holly was always comfortable with talking about such things as sex. She wasn't the kids' real mother so neither were Sam and Santana uncomfortable with talking about it with Holly. It was more the fact that Holly had brought up Santana and him as friends with benefits that made him choke on his food.

"So, what are we going to do about Santana?"

"I don't know. It doesn't matter to me if she likes girls or not. Brittany is a very nice girl, and her and Santana would make a beautiful couple. So whatever Santana decides I will always be there for her. And I won't have to beat up every guy who shows up at her steps." Sam laughed.

"That is very nice of you, Sam and yeah I think that, too. I had some experiences with girls, too so I would be the last person who has a problem with Santana's sexuality. And if it comes out eventually that she is gay, I won't have to worry about teenage pregnancy." Sam and Holly started laughing.

"Hey." Santana entered the kitchen area shyly. Holly and Sam looked up at her surprised by her appearance. "I'm sorry for how I behaved earlier. I don't want to push you away. It's just that I have a lot of stress right now with the tour and everything, and a lot of things are going through my mind."

"It's fine, San, really. We know you have a lot to do. We are here for you and we love you no matter what. Just talk to us, you are not alone." Sam stood up and walked over to Santana. He pulled her into a tight hug and she melted into him. Santana was so glad that she had him and she knew that she could rely on him and Holly so it made her feel even guiltier when she was behaving bad and rude towards them. Sam placed a soft kiss on the top of Santana's head and pulled her closer. Holly looked at the two teenagers touched. She knew that both of them loved each other very much but being able to see these moments of affection between the two of them made her even prouder and she loved Santana and Sam even more.

"I love you, too." Santana said. "And you, too." She pulled away from Sam and walked over to Holly. She hugged her god mother and sat next to her.

"Sweetie, you do know that you can always talk to us, right?" Holly asked Santana.

"I know and thank you." Santana nodded and then stole Sam's sandwich quickly. Before he could do or say anything Santana stood up and ran giggling back to her room shouting 'thank you, Sammy.' Before closing the door.

"And there she is again." Sam giggled and proceeded to make a new sandwich. "The Santana we know and love."

* * *

**A/N Thank you for all your kind reviews :) Here's the new chapter, I hope you enjoyed. Reviews and questions are also accepted on my tumblr: kissinglips95. tumblr. com**

**Let me know what you think :)**


	7. Chapter 7: The Concert

**Chapter 7: The Concert**

* * *

"Santana, stop moving! Jeez, hold still for just a minute. I can't apply make up when you're moving." Santana was sitting in her wardrobe while Nick was applying makeup on her for the show. Santana was feeling slightly nervous, but she was used to it by now. It is nowhere near as horrible as the day of her first concert. She'd since gotten used to it, and now the nerves only kicked in before she went on stage. She could never completely get rid of it. But the nervousness she was feeling now was more excitement. Santana was fidgeting on the chair playing with her phone while Nick, her make-up artist, was trying to get her to sit still.

"Nick, I have to tweet my fans." Santana replied, sending the tweet quickly. It had quickly become a ritual to tweet to her fans before she had to be on stage, as it was a good distraction and helped her to calm down. The first time she did it was right before her first concert when she needed a distraction to forget her nerves and reading the answers she got from her fans usually helped her. Sometimes when she was touched or found a tweet cute she replied but usually she didn't give a fuck. She loved her fans but not enough to be bothered by them much longer than she needed to and had the patience for. But what surprised her the most was that she actually liked replying to them to make them happy because a star answered their tweets. And not even five minutes later after she posted the tweet she got thousands of replies where fans told her 'have fun', 'good luck', 'I love yous' and so on.

"I don't care. You're gonna look horrible if you don't stop moving."

"It is impossible for Santana Lopez to look horrible. I can wear a potato sack and I would still look smoking."

"You are so modest, but I won't deny it. You're a very attractive girl. Too bad we're both straight. Wait! I'm almost finished." Before Santana could reply Shelby stormed into the wardrobe looking stressed, holding her phone in the one hand and was looking at the watch on her other hand.

"Santana, what are you still doing here? You're already supposed to be with Mason doing your vocal warm up. You have one hour left until the show starts and you're still not wearing your outfit, unless you think that you can go on stage with sweatpants and an oversized hoodie."

"At least it would be comfy." Santana shrugged. She saw the 'now's- not- the- right- time- for- stupid- jokes- look' Shelby was giving her and looked at Nick.

"Just a second, Shelby." Nick put the make-up brush aside and looked if everything had been done and nodded. "You can go now."

"Okay, now move your butt to Mason, Santana. He's waiting and you know how impatient he can get."

"Shelby, calm down. Everything's gonna be fine." Santana stood up calmly and walked relaxed towards the exit where Shelby was standing. Shelby rolled her eyes and started pushing Santana outside.

"I know it's gonna be fine. It always is but for once I want everything to be ready so that we can have a few minutes to relax before you have to be on stage but no, you always have to do everything relaxed."

"Shelby, I want things to be perfect, too and you know I worked my ass off this year, but right now I need a minute. You don't have to stress me out more than I already am."

"Okay, fine. I'm sorry but please, please, please hurry up and go to Mason. You know how impatient he is. Such a drama queen!"

"Oh please, he loves me, but okay I will run. See ya later."

Mason was on stage waiting for the young starlet, looking nervous but as soon as Santana appeared next to him he sighed and looked relieved. Mason, Santana's vocal coach, was capital G gay. He was wearing a pair of tight, pink trousers, a white button down shirt and a black tie. Santana had to stifle a giggle because of Mason's obviousness but she loved him. Sam and she had played so many pranks on him that nothing surprised him anymore.

"Santana, jeez there you are. You're late."

"I know, Mason. Can we just start? I still have to get changed."

"Of course dear, just move your butt to the piano." Santana nodded and she and Mason walked over to the piano to start Santana's vocal warm up.

* * *

"Quinn, is this dress all right?" Brittany stepped in front of Quinn and made a turn so that Quinn could see the whole outfit. She had chosen a gray dress which reached her knees and had pink roses on it. Quinn looked at Brittany and smiled. Brittany had changed so many times and had finally settled on this outfit, as it definitely out-shined all the others she had tried on so far this evening. Quinn took Brittany's camera and snapped a picture of her.

"Britt, this is so beautiful. You look breathtaking." Quinn said, while still admiring her best friend.

"Thank you, Quinnie. I am going to put some make up on and then we can go." Quinn nodded and Brittany disappeared into the bathroom. Right after Brittany left, Stacey came into the room.

"Hey, where's Britt?"

"Getting ready in the bathroom."

"Getting ready? For what? I didn't know she had plans. I thought maybe she wanted to watch a movie with me and make some popcorn." Stacey seemed unknowing to what Quinn and Brittany had planned to do tonight. Quinn wondered for a moment if she really should tell Stacey the truth about her and Brittany's tickets for Santana's concert - knowing that the girl wouldn't take it well. It would come out eventually so she decided to tell Stacy the truth before there would be more drama. Quinn definitely knew what was about to come. She stood up and walked over to her purse to show Stacey the tickets.

"Brittany and I are going to Santana's concert."

"You, what?" Stacey's jaw dropped. "I thought they were sold out. And why Brittany? That's so unfair. I mean- just fuck it! Fuck you!" Stacey looked really angry and she stormed out of the room as Brittany came in with a confused expression after she saw her sister's anger. She looked at Quinn and she just showed Brittany the tickets.

"That's why I didn't tell her earlier. I knew she'd be mad." Brittany sighed. "Anyway, we need to get going before we'll be late." Quinn nodded and waited patiently till Brittany put her boots on before they left the house. Brittany still hadn't gotten a new car so they had to take Quinn's, but that wasn't a problem. Brittany always liked Quinn's car more than hers but now that she had seen Santana's car she liked this even more. The arena wasn't far away from Brittany's house so it didn't take too long to reach their destination. The huge parking lot was almost filled with cars but Quinn has just managed to find free space to park. A huge mass of people was standing in front of the entrance waiting to get in. Most of them were teenagers around Quinn's and Brittany's age but also younger children with their parents. Some of them were wearing shirts with pictures of Santana on them or they were holding huge placards decorated with glitter and pictures of Santana.

"Okay, so we have seats in the row almost directly in front of the stage and after the concert someone is going to pick us up and we'll go see Santana. But right now we have to wait till they let us in." Quinn said looking around.

"Jeez, I am so excited. I'm going to get to see her again." Brittany said quietly but loudly enough for Quinn to hear and Brittany just rolled her eyes playfully.

* * *

"Santana, hurry up! You have five minutes left till you have to be on stage." Shelby was knocking on the door of Santana's wardrobe. Santana was leaning against it on the other side looking again at the picture of her and Brittany trying to calm down. She had five minutes left and slowly she was beginning to feel nervous. She took a deep breath and put the picture back into her wallet. Sadly Brittany wouldn't be here and it made Santana sad and a little anxious knowing that she would have to leave Brittany tomorrow. It was the last day in Lima and tomorrow she would leave to go back to L.A. and she hadn't had the chance to say goodbye to Brittany. Santana sighed a last time and walked outside where the whole team was waiting. Helen, Mason, Nicki, the band, Holly, Sam and all the rest of Santana's crew. Santana smiled at all of them.

"Are you ready?" Santana shouted.

"Yeah." Everyone shouted back. Santana clapped and she got an in- ear microphone.

"Good luck." Sam whispered into her ear and kissed her cheek before he got onto the stage. He walked to the band and took the guitar. The people started cheering and then the countdown started. On the black screen behind the stage appeared in white color the countdown. The audience started shouting the countdown.

"Five, four, three, two, one…" The band started playing music and after the countdown was over Santana walked onto the stage. The crowd shouted Santana's name all over again making Santana smile.

"Good night, Ohio." She said and the audience cheered even louder. Santana got an adrenaline rush and the nervousness she felt minutes ago vanished. She smiled even wider and started with her show.

* * *

"Oh my god. She's here." Brittany shouted into Quinn's ear. She was so excited and happy to be at Santana's show. She couldn't wait to go backstage and see Santana's face after surprising her. "She's so beautiful." Brittany whispered to herself. Santana looked so happy while she was singing that the was glowing and Brittany thought that it was the most beautiful thing in the world. And not the tight, black jeans Santana was wearing or the expensive red leather jacket. Sure she looked stunning but Santana was breathtaking to Brittany. Her smile seemed genuine and she had these cute dimples on her cheeks. Brittany was mesmerized by the other girl's appearance. She didn't even avert her gaze from Santana when she talked to Quinn.

Quinn studied Brittany's expression while she was watching Santana sitting on a stool playing the guitar. She saw how Brittany was standing there in awe watching the celebrity doing the simplest things like taking a sip from her water bottle or running her hand through her hair. Quinn knew that Brittany had strong feelings for Santana but she couldn't quite put a label on it. She wanted Brittany to come to her and tell her everything she was struggling with. She had never seen Brittany so joyful, although she was always cheerful. Santana was bringing out a different side to Brittany, and although Quinn was a little jealous that she hadn't been the one to make Brittany to show this side, she knew that hers and Brittany's friendship was different to the one Santana and Brittany shared.

The concert went on and Brittany never averted her gaze from Santana. Not even once. Only when Santana left the stage for five minutes and the band continued playing, Brittany turned to Quinn telling her that she had so much fun. Quinn didn't even get a chance to reply before Santana came back wearing a new outfit and Brittany stopped paying attention to Quinn again. Quinn didn't blame her best friend, though. It was one of her biggest wishes to see Brittany content and if she found tenderness in Santana then so be it. But if Santana did something that would hurt Brittany she would go all bitch on Santana because no one messed with her best friend. She tried not to dwell on it too much as this was supposed to be a night where Brittany and Quinn could just have fun. So Quinn just started dancing with her best friend and singing alone with every song she knew the lyrics of. And the night started to be much more fun that she had expected it to be.

* * *

After the concert Brittany, Quinn and two other girls who had won VIP tickets from the radio station in Lima got picked up by Santana's manager, Shelby.

"Okay, all of you are going to get an autograph from Santana and a picture with her. You can also ask a few questions. After all of that, you're going to get a bag with fan articles of Santana and then you have to leave." Shelby explained while she led them through some halls behind the stage. "Oh and one thing you are going to get separated. First you two." Shelby pointed at the two girls who won the tickets. "And then you two." She pointed at Quinn and Brittany. "Understood?" Shelby seemed intimidating while she was explaining.

Too bad the girls didn't know that Shelby had planned it out to be this way. Holly had informed her about what she had done and Shelby was more than willing to agree since Santana was like the daughter she never had. She wasn't even looking at the girls and she managed to sound so stern. Shelby stopped in front of a door. She led the first two girls into the room and closed the door behind her before saying to Quinn and Brittany to wait for her. After they disappeared behind the closed door Brittany had some time to look around. Different people walked around collecting equipment and putting music instruments back into their boxes. Brittany couldn't contain her excitement any more. She was practically bouncing and she couldn't hold still. Quinn rolled her eyes but smiled at her friend's excitement.

"Britt, calm down. Just a few more minutes and then you're going to see her."

"Finally." Brittany breathed out. Ten minutes later the door opened and the two girls came out grinning and happy to meet their big idol. They got led out by a man and then the door opened again and Shelby peaked out grinning at the two girls. The sternness she had minutes ago had vanished away and was replaced by sincere kindness. Shelby held the door open and let the girls step in. They were in a huge room behind the stage and Santana's back was facing Brittany while she was talking to Holly. After Brittany laid eyes on the other girl the world seemed to disappear. Every person in the room vanished and it seemed like they were the only ones in this room.

"Santana!" Brittany screamed and smiled. After hearing the familiar voice Santana turned around not believing that Brittany was actually there. A huge smile appeared on her face and she started running towards Brittany.

"Brittany!" Santana shouted and threw her arms around Brittany's neck. Brittany wrapped her arms around Santana's waist. "Oh my god, I can't believe you're here. What are you doing here? Oh, my god! " She hugged Brittany even tighter. Holly and the rest just stood around and watched the girls' interaction with each other. Quinn smiled and walked over to Sam who was standing next to Holly.

"Hey." Santana whispered when she pulled away. She cupped Brittany's cheeks and smiled at her friend sweetly.

"Hey." Brittany repeated her hands still wrapped around Santana's waist.

"Wait, what are you doing here?"

"Holly came over and gave me two tickets for your show."

"Holly did what?" Santana turned around and looked at her god mother. "You did what?" She said louder. Holly walked over to the girls and smiled at them.

"Yeah, I gave Brittany tickets. I am so happy you could make it, Brittany."

"There was no way I would miss this." Santana hugged her god mother and whispered a 'thank you' into her ear.

"Now go have fun girls." Holly said before walking over to Shelby.

"Come with me." Santana took Brittany's hand and her things and pulled her outside.

"Wait, Santana. Where are we going? What about Quinn?" Santana glanced back at Quinn who was talking with Sam. They were laughing and a blush appeared on Quinn's cheeks because of something Sam had said.

"You'll see and Sam is going to take good care of her. Trust me." And with Santana continued pulling Brittany. She led Brittany through some halls and they exited the arena through a back door. Many fans were still outside waiting for Santana to show up but she paid them no attention. She wanted to spend the last hours in Lima with Brittany and she wanted to use every minute she could. "Do you see that?" Santana pointed at something.

"Oh my god! We're going to drive in a stretched limousine?"

"Yes, we are." Santana started walking towards the vehicle. "Are you coming?" She asked Brittany when she noticed that she wasn't following. Brittany nodded and walked to Santana, linked their pinkies and they got into the limousine. Brittany was surprised by how big it really was. They had enough room to move in the car. There was a minibar, a small TV and on the roof there was a window. Santana told the driver, Mr. Ryan, where he should drive them and she sat back onto her seat. "Ever been in a limousine?"

"Nope, never. This is the first time and it's so exciting. It is way bigger than I had imagined it to be." Santana giggled at Brittany's excitement. She pushed a button and the window on the roof of the limousine opened. She took Brittany's hand and pulled her up with her. They stood up so that their torso was outside. "That's so cool." Brittany shouted and extended her arms. Santana laughed and tried to push her bangs back which the wind was constantly blowing into her face.

"Brittany, please just be careful. I don't want you to fall down."

"Then you have to hold me." Brittany whispered loud enough for Santana to hear while looking her in the eyes. She took Santana's hands gently and placed them around her waist. Santana's breath hitched and her heart started hammering against her ribcage. It felt like it was about to jump out of her chest any second and she had like a billion butterflies in her stomach going all crazy. Brittany was feeling the same. She didn't dare to move, though. She was afraid that she would scare Santana away. Santana liked being so close to Brittany, it made her feel great but her mind was racing. She tried to fight the nervousness, the insecurity and the angst, for having these feelings for Brittany, who was a girl. She wanted to believe that this was awkward but never in her life had something felt so right and so good. She took a deep breath and secured her grip around Brittany's waist. They continued the whole drive with Santana holding Brittany and Brittany rambling about how awesome Santana's concert was and how excited she was about spending time with her. At some point Santana became braver and eventually she pulled Brittany closer and rested her head on her shoulder. The moment didn't last long, though, because Mr. Ryan halted the vehicle in front of a small Asian restaurant. Surprisingly it was still open despite the fact that it was past midnight. The girls got out of the limousine and walked towards the entrance with their pinkies linked.

"What are we doing here?" Brittany asked while the sat inside. The restaurant wasn't that big. It had just a counter where you could sit at and you could watch the cooks preparing the food. But it was cozy, warm and looked very inviting. Brittany and Santana sat at the counter next to each other and looked at the menu.

"Well it is a tradition where Sam, Holly and I go after every concert out for dinner and since I wanted to spend the night with you, I'm going out with you. It isn't that big but Sam and I found it a few days ago and the food here is delicious." Santana stated and looked back at her menu. "So what do you want to order? I'm paying."

"To be honest I don't have much experience with Chinese food. We usually order either pizza or just go out for burgers. But you can order for me. I trust you." Santana's heart fluttered by what Brittany said and she smiled at her.

"I trust you, too." And then Santana turned to an older woman who was ready to take their orders. Santana ordered Shrimp Lo Mein with vegetables for her and Brittany and something to drink and the girls spent the rest of the time making small talk. The restaurant was empty and the older people who were working there didn't seem to recognize Santana much to her luck.

"Okay, we have one problem here." Brittany said when they got their food.

"What is it?"

"I don't know how to eat with chopsticks." Brittany confessed ashamedly.

"Hey, you don't have to be ashamed. I had to learn it, too. I'm going to show you." Santana took her own chopsticks and opened her hand. "Okay, first you open your hand. You place the one stick between your thumb and your middle finger like this." Santana placed her chopstick in her hand like she instructed. She waited till Brittany had placed it, too in her hand and then continued explaining. "Okay and then you grip the second chopstick with your index finger like this." She showed Brittany how to do and after Brittany had done it, too she picked up one of her shrimps and showed Brittany how to pick up food. The first shrimp disappeared in Santana's mouth and she motioned Brittany to try it, too. After Brittany failed several times Santana scooted closer to her, took Brittany's hand in hers and placed the chop sticks into her hand and helped Brittany to pick up her food. "Here you go." She whispered and brought their hands up to Brittany's mouth putting the shrimp into her mouth. She didn't know why she had whispered, but their faces were so close to each other that Santana could feel Brittany's breath on her. She shivered and inhaled Brittany's scent - sweet perfume which made her heart beat even faster.

"Thank you." Brittany whispered and continued looking into Santana's chocolate orbs. She wanted to reach out and touch her cheek, run her thumb over Santana's bottom lip and maybe bring her closer and feel Santana's luscious lips on hers… but she couldn't. Santana was still holding her hand and using the other hand would be awkward. Seconds passed which seemed like minutes and hours where the two girls just continued looking into each other's eyes neither of them saying a word. They were too caught up into the moment to even notice what was happening around them.

"Maybe we should ask for a fork." Santana said after she couldn't bear the feeling Brittany gave her any more. She was a girl for god's sake. She couldn't have feelings for a girl. Santana cleared her throat and scooted back, missing the disappointed look on Brittany's face. "Can we have a fork please?" Santana asked the waitress.

"Thank you." Brittany mumbled and started eating her meal.

* * *

"… and then my dad tripped over Lord Tubbington and broke my mom's favorite vase. It looked really funny but my mom didn't think so. She was mad at him for a week and my poor dad had to sleep on the sofa." Brittany explained while she and Santana got out of the restaurant heading towards the limousine. Santana laughed and opened the door for Brittany.

"You're family seems very funny." Santana said after following Brittany inside of the vehicle.

"Yeah, they really are."

"Do you have to be at home, yet?" Santana asked. She wanted to spend more time with Brittany but if she had to be at home she would drop her off.

"Quinn and I had planned a sleepover at her place but she's still with Sam, I think."

"Do you want me drop you off or do you want to spent some more time with me?"

"I want to spend more time with you." Santana smiled at that. "And if you don't mind I would like to choose our next destination. I want to show you something."

"Of course, Britt. Go ahead." It was the first time Santana had used a nickname for Brittany. It slipped but mostly it was because she was too lazy to say the whole name and she had heard Quinn to refer to Brittany as Britt. Brittany didn't seem to mind, though. She liked it that Santana called her Britt and it sounded so good when it came out of Santana's mouth. Brittany moved forward and talked to Mr. Ryan. He nodded and started driving. "So where are we going?" Santana asked curious.

"You'll see." Brittany said and sat back next to Santana. The ride to the destination Brittany had chosen was a little longer than the ride from the arena to the Chinese restaurant. Eventually Mr. Ryan stopped the car somewhere outside of Lima and the girls got out.

"Britt, are you sure we're right here?" Santana asked looking into the woods.

"Yep, we're right. Just trust me. Now gimme your hand if you don't want to get lost." Brittany took Santana's hand and together they walked into the woods.

"Britt, I can't walk with my high heels."

"I promise it'll be worth it." Brittany said and gave Santana's hand a light squeeze. She could feel tingles running through her body because of Santana's touch. Brittany led them carefully through the woods helping Santana everywhere where she couldn't walk because of her heels. She lifted her over branches, sometimes she gave her a piggy back ride and by the time they got to the destination they were giggling. Brittany had brought them up to a clearing. There was a big, round grass spot with patches of flowers everywhere. The clearing was illuminated by the moonlight and when Santana saw it she stopped giggling and gasped.

"Brittany this looks so beautiful."

"My dad and I found it a few years ago when we went camping. He doesn't know that I still come here, though. I think he even forgot this place, but it's my favorite. Whenever I need to think or I just want to relax I am here."

"Thanks for sharing it with me." Santana turned towards Brittany and hugged her.

"Come with me." Brittany replied and pulled Santana to the middle of the clearing. She sat down and patted the spot next to her for Santana to sit. Despite the October weather the clearing was surprisingly warm and the grass was dry. After Santana had sat down Brittany pulled her with her down so that they were lying down watching the stars. "Give me your hand." Brittany said softly. Santana obliged and Brittany used Santana's pointer to show her the stars. She pointed out a constellation. "This is the little Dipper or you can also call it Ursa Minor. According to Greek mythology, the origin of the constellation is from the story of Callisto and her son Arcas. Zeus had fallen for Callisto, who was princess of Arcadia, and she bore him Arcas. Hera, the queen of the gods became angry and transformed Callisto into a bear. Years later Arcas was out hunting and Hera arranged for him to find Callisto. Before he could kill the bear who was his mother, Zeus intervened and transformed Callisto into the constellation Ursa Major and Arcas into Ursa Minor so mother and son would be together forever in the night sky." Santana looked at Brittany while she was explaining. "This is my favorite constellation because in this story I can see how important family really is. I don't know what I would do without my parents or my sister I love them so much."

"You're very lucky, Britt." Santana whispered and Brittany turned her head to watch her. "I never got to know what family is until I had to move in with Holly. And then Sam came around and then we were complete."

"Do you miss your parents?" Santana shrugged.

"I don't know." And that was all Santana said. She didn't like talking about her parents because honestly she didn't know what to say. She had many bad things to say and she was ashamed that she had these thoughts. Santana was afraid of forgetting her parents because she barely saw them and she didn't have many memories with them. Brittany sensed that Santana felt uncomfortable talking about her parents so she didn't try to get more out of her. She respected her hesitation and maybe Santana would open up to her and tell her on her own what was bothering her eventually. Brittany scooted closer to Santana and rested her head onto Santana's shoulder. Santana sighed in contentment and tilted her head so that it was resting on Brittany's. "I can't believe that a random girl who saved me and didn't like me at the beginning is now lying with me in the middle of a clearing." Brittany giggled at that.

"I can't believe that a celebrity is lying with me in the middle of a clearing. A girl who I learned to like so much after I got to know her properly."

"A girl who makes me happier than anyone else ever did."

"A girl who is so nice to me and respects me. A girl who makes me feel good."

"A girl who makes me feel special."

"That's because you are special, Santana."

"I don't want to leave tomorrow." Santana stated sadly. Brittany looked up at her and stroked Santana's cheek. "Not now after I met you and despite the fact that Lima is a little shit hole."

"I don't want you to leave either. You know what? First I didn't think highly of you. I always thought that you were a spoiled brat because you are so young and you have already everything you could dream of. I never thought that behind a person could be so much more than the image I had of you. Do you want to know what I think about you now?"

"If it's bad I don't want to hear it because I like you too much to actually have the courage to be mean to you. It's impossible." Santana was joking because she knew that she and Brittany had become really good friends but there was still a small part in her that was afraid that Brittany would say something bad about her.

"Don't worry it's not bad. When I saw you today on stage I thought that you were miraculously, breathtakingly, stunning. Honestly I couldn't stop looking at you because you looked so happy. You were and still are so beautiful, Santana. On the inside and outside. Don't let anyone ever convince you that you aren't."

"Are you real?" Santana whispered. She didn't trust her voice anymore. Never in her life had anyone said something so nice to her. A single tear rolled down Santana's cheek and Brittany wiped it away. "You are so good that you seem so unreal. Like an angel."

"Trust me I'm real and I am just telling you the truth, Santana." Then Brittany moved her head and placed a soft kiss onto Santana's cheek. Santana's skin burned and she could still feel Brittany's lips on her cheek even after she had removed them

"Thank you. What was that for?"

"I don't know. I just felt like it." Brittany beamed earning a big smile from Santana. And then realization outran them and Brittany's phone started ringing. She sat up and answered the call but not before letting out a long sigh. "Hello. Yeah, still with Santana. Ok, fine. Quinn, calm down I'm on my way. Yeah whatever bye." Brittany hung up and looked down at Santana with an apologetic smile. Santana stood up and helped Brittany onto her feet. She took Brittany's pinky in hers and together they walked back to the limousine silently. The ride was silent, too. Both girls knew that those were the last minutes they were sharing before both of them had to go back to their lives. Eventually Mr. Ryan stopped the limousine in front of Quinn's house and Santana walked Brittany to the door. Santana stroked Brittany's cheek.

"Take care."

"You, too and call me when you have time."

"I will." Santana said and pulled Brittany into a tight hug. She felt like crying for having to leave Brittany behind. Neither of them knew if or when they would see each other again. But both of them knew that there would be definitely a next time. Whether it was in a few weeks or months. "I will miss you." Santana said and hugged Brittany even tighter.

"I will miss you, too. Why does this feel like a goodbye? I know that I will see you again. Santana, fate will find a way."

"I hope so." Santana pulled away. "You have to go now. I don't want you to get into more trouble."

"It's worth it, though. Good night, Santana."

"Good night, Brittany." And after Brittany pecked Santana's cheek for a second time this night Santana walked back to the limousine but not without looking back at the beautiful girl in front of Quinn's door. She waved a last time and then Mr. Ryan drove her back to the tour bus.

* * *

It was three in the morning when Santana had finally gotten back to the bus and Holly and Sam were wide awake sitting in the kitchen and grinning like they were hiding something. Santana looked confused at them.

"Okay, what the hell is going on?" She asked.

"Sit down, Santana." Holly asked pulling a chair back and motioned to Santana to sit down. Santana walked irritated over to the table and took a seat. Holly handed Santana an envelope.

"Okay, am I in trouble or something?"

"Just open it." Sam encouraged Santana. Santana opened the envelope and took a letter out of it which was addressed to Holly.

"Holly, this letter is for you."

"Honey, just read it." Santana nodded and started reading it out loud.

"Dear, Miss Holiday. With this letter we are pleased to inform you that we officially decided to hire you as a teacher at McKinley High School. In addition we are pleased to inform you that the students Santana Lopez and Sam Evans are accepted to join their senior year at our High School." Santana stopped reading and looked at Holly. Didn't Brittany mentioned being at a high school called McKinley High? Wait, this meant that she would officially go to a public school. With Brittany. And that they would move from Los Angeles to Lima. Okay, Lima wasn't the best town but it was small and Santana and Sam would be decent.

"Wait, does that mean that Sam and I are going to a public school?"

"I think this is what the letter tells us." Sam said smiling.

"But we have to move from L.A. to Lima. You are aware of that, aren't you?" Holly warned.

"I seriously don't care. I'm going to go to a public school with you, Sam and Brittany. That's all I could ever ask for." Santana stood up and hugged Holly. "Oh my god! I can't believe it. We're going to start living a normal life." She shouted. "But I'm so tired right now. I'm going to bed. Thank you, Holly. For everything."

"Anything for you, dear." Holly answered and Santana disappeared into her room. Holly turned to Sam. "Step one to Santana's happiness: Give Santana an as normal as possible life. Check."

* * *

**A/N I decided to post the new chapter today :) It was finished and I know many of you were waiting for the concert so here you are. I hope you enjoyed. Let me know what you think and as always you can also review and ask on my tumblr: kissinglips95. tumblr. com**

**:)**


	8. Chapter 8: Welcome to WMHS

**Chapter 8: Welcome to WMHS**

* * *

Santana woke to the sound of her alarm clock. Officially it was her first day at a public school and she'd never even had to be awake this early when Holly was her private teacher. Santana had managed to keep it to herself and not slipping it to Brittany that she had moved to Lima. They had been talking every day since Santana 'left' Lima.

Brittany didn't know that her friend was all the time in Lima, living in the tour bus until everything could sorted out, and even then, it took a few weeks. The move from Los Angeles to Lima was long and exhausting but in Santana's opinion it was worth the fatigue and the stress she, Sam and Holly had gone through. Especially if it was just to see Santana smiling and Santana wanted to see Brittany smile as well.

Spending countless nights awake choosing furniture and paints, doing paperwork and other stuff that had to be done in such a short time. Santana sat up on her bed and looked around the unfamiliar room. She liked the new house in Lima, though she still had to get used to it. It was huge –a three story house to be exact- and gave Santana enough space to have a big room herself. Holly had bought this house after discussing it with Sam and Santana.

They fell in love with it the moment they saw it. It was a few minutes outside of Lima so that the celebrities could have some privacy. One wall of Santana's room was replaced by a huge window with an entrance to her big balcony. She had a view over Lima and although it was a small town the lights at night looked incredible. She liked this room more than the one she had back in Los Angeles. She had a say in how she wanted to decorate it and in her opinion it was perfect.

Her room had dark walls and dark wooden floor but the light from the big window didn't allow the room to look too dark. The queen sized bed in the middle of the room was also dark and it looked great in contrast with the light pink sheets. Santana had hung up some pictures of her parents and of Sam and Holly. She also had bought a frame for the picture of her and Brittany and now it was hanging framed over her bed. The white leather sofa on one side of the room and the grey, plushy carpet made the room look cozier. On the other side of the room was a white desk and a big leather office chair. Over her bed, a big television hanging from the ceiling and next to her desk was a shelf with all her CD's and books. Every room had an ensuite bathroom and so did Santana's bedroom.

Her bathroom had a luxury shower where the water came down from the ceiling and you could turn on colorful lights. It was behind a wall and the shower had enough space for at least three people. The bathroom also had two sinks and a big bath tub which could also make bubbles. A big window over the bathtub lightened up the room.

The house Holly had found had an indoor and an outdoor pool but Santana still missed the beach. When she finally felt ready to get out of the bed which was really difficult considering that it was really comfy, Santana went into her bathroom took a quick shower and got ready for school. When she entered her walk-in closet she had a hard time deciding what to wear. To be honest Santana didn't own any simple clothes. The simplest things she owned were sweatpants and some shirts and her oversized 'Santana Lopez On Tour 2012' hoodie. Those clothes were also expensive but in comparison to her other clothes it belonged to the cheaper things. No matter what she would wear she would look overdressed. Deciding to just shrug off her issue because Santana always looked flawless, she decided on a white dress which reached her tights and a navy blue blazer.

She adjusted some of her front strands with a hair clip and let the rest of her hair hang loosely around her shoulders. She put also some make-up on but only a little. She didn't want to end up getting caught by looking awful like some other celebrities. After finishing, Santana made her way downstairs where Holly had made some breakfast. She sat at the kitchen island and took a bite of her toast.

"Good morning." Holly greeted and purred Santana some coffee into her mug. "How was your first night in your new room?"

"Holly, I love this house. How the hell did you find it? And I slept great. Sleeping on my new bed is like sleeping on clouds. Really thank you." Santana said honestly. She was already missing her warm bed and the cozy cover but if she wanted to see the gorgeous smile of Brittany she had to leave the house earlier. The drive to the school was longer because they were living outside of Lima and she wanted to drive to Lima Bean and buy some hot chocolate for Brittany and eventually surprise her by picking her up. She couldn't wait to see Brittany's reaction.

"You look very pretty, Santana. But, honey, it is November don't you think that you will get cold?"

"I don't think so. The only time I will be outside is when I am going to walk from buildings to my car and vice versa."

"Okay and I have another question. You have plenty of time till school starts and you had enough time to sleep a little longer. Why are you awake, Sam's still sleeping."

"I know but I wanted to um… do something before school." Santana said and blushed. Holly laughed and decided to drop it although she knew that it has something to do with Brittany judging by Santana's mood so early in the morning. "But anyway I have to go now. See you at school." Santana took a last sip from her coffee and stood up.

"Santana, wait. Joe will be waiting for you in front of the building. And you probably won't be having a quiet time. The students are going to cause a riot. You saw what happened in front of the gate." Holly warned, concerned.

"I know and I'll manage it somehow."

"Okay and say hi to Brittany from me." Holly smirked. Santana blushed and her eyes widened.

"How did you-?"

"Please Santana. I practically raised you, and Brittany is the only person who managed to make you smile so wide."

"Whatever I'm leaving. See you later in the principal's office." Santana said and walked to the garage to get into her car.

* * *

After Santana's stop at Lima Bean where she got held up by some fans having to give them autographs and take some pictures, she made her way to Brittany's house. As she was driving the street down slowly her heart started beating faster and her happiness increased. She was excited but also terrified.

She didn't know why she was behaving the way she was when she was with Brittany. She liked Brittany and Santana had read many times about the feelings Brittany gave her. She had read about it so many times in books, in magazines, hell she was even singing about it but she was still afraid of saying the word. She was afraid of saying 'it' because she was afraid of everything that would happen after confessing it to herself. Santana didn't believe in this feeling and there she was thinking about it because someone was bringing it up in her.

The most scaring thing was that out of all people it had to be a girl. Santana just couldn't explain how such a beautiful feeling Brittany was bringing up in her could be so terrifying and hard? And there she was sitting in her car and thinking about Brittany, a girl she met weeks ago and wanting to just slam her head against the steering wheel because she was really frustrated. She didn't know how to deal with her situation. It was hard to ignore the feeling and honestly, she didn't want to fight it she just wanted it to be easier. Easier to live with, easier to understand and easier to deal with. She had still the possibility to talk to either Sam or Holly, maybe to both of them. When Sam had burst into her room and told her that it was okay if she liked Brittany as if it was a given. No matter what would happen Santana could count on Sam and Holly in the end but that didn't make the feeling less scaring nor did it make it less confusing.

Santana sighed audibly and punched the steering wheel. Why? That was the only question Santana had. Why? She had everything. Fame, money and anything she could ask for and then Brittany appeared turning her world upside down without even trying to do so. Eventually Santana halted her car in front of Brittany's house almost passing it because she had sunk so heavily into her thoughts and got out of the car after taking the last sip from her second coffee this morning.

She leaned nervously against her Porsche and waited for Brittany to come out. Almost five minutes later Brittany exited from her house looking for Quinn but when she saw that Quinn's car was replaced by Santana's car with the singer leaning against it she squealed and ran towards Santana engulfing her into a tight hug. Santana wrapped her arms around Brittany's waist lifting her which was a little difficult because Brittany was taller than her.

"Oh my god, San. What are you doing here?" Brittany laughed into the crook of Santana's neck. It was almost a month ago when Brittany last saw Santana and she was surprised that Santana was suddenly standing in front of her house. Santana let Brittany again down and looked at the girl standing in front of her. How she missed those blue eyes. It was the first thing on Brittany that Santana had noticed. They were the most beautiful thing Santana had witnessed and she had seen many beautiful things. Her breath hitched when she saw what Brittany was wearing. Her short cheerleading skirt was showing Brittany's legs. They were going on like forever. Santana couldn't stop watching. Too occupied with looking at Brittany's perfect legs Santana didn't hear when Brittany called her name. Brittany giggled.

"Santana." She called a second time. This time Santana looked up from Brittany's legs and blushed furiously when she saw Brittany giggling.

"Sorry." Santana mumbled shyly. She cleared her throat and walked over to the passenger seat door opening it for Brittany. "Are you getting inside?" Brittany nodded and climbed into Santana's Porsche forgetting completely about Quinn who was supposed to pick her up and enjoying the heat inside of Santana's car. Sue was very strict when it came to the Cheerios wearing their uniforms. She wanted them to wear the uniform every day at school ignoring the weather because it showed the Cheerios' status at school. In winter the Cheerios added, a Cheerios jacket to not freeze but their legs were still uncovered and it wasn't the most comfortable feeling.

"I was at Lima Bean. I brought you a hot chocolate." Santana smiled and handed her a cup.

"Thank you." Brittany smiled and took a sip the hot liquid warming her body. Santana started the engine and started driving towards the school, Brittany still didn't know anything about it though. "Where are we going?" She asked confused.

"School." Santana said simply not averting her gaze from the road.

"School? But Santana you don't even go to McKinley High."

"Today's my first day. Holly got a job offer from a Mr. Figgins or something and we moved to Lima."

"Seriously? And what is with your career?"

"I am not giving it up. I will continue giving concerts and I started working on a new album."

"So that means that I get to see you every day?" Brittany smiled.

"Yup, you get to see me every fucking day. You're stuck with me, Brittany." Santana looked smiling at her before returning her gaze back to the street again.

"As long as it's you I don't mind at all." Brittany downed her hot chocolate quickly and hugged the still driving Santana.

"Easy, Britt I'm driving." Santana giggled trying to drive while Brittany was squeezing the life out of her.

"I'm just so happy." Brittany whispered before sitting back again.

"Me, too." Santana smiled before pulling into the school's parking lot. "Me, too, Britt."

* * *

"Okay, when you we get out of the car I want you to come as quickly as possible to my side." Santana said after she turned the engine off. She had managed to find a free space where she could get quickly from the building to the car and vice versa so that she didn't have to be bothered by everyone too much. As far as she could see she had the most expensive car- besides Sam's and Holly's cars she had recognized while she was searching for a free spot and of course that caused attention. The students who were standing there didn't mind though, they still hadn't seen the owner of the car. She knew that after she got out of the car screaming students would come running to her and she didn't want to lose Brittany in the mass. That Brittany was her friend now meant that people would start recognizing her at restaurants, in coffee shops and even by doing simple things like walking down the street.

Santana looked at Brittany who nodded smiling. Brittany quickly got out of the car and ran to Santana's door opening it. "That was fast." Santana laughed and climbed out. She linked her pinky with Brittany's and after locking the car they walked towards the entrance. As soon as they were crossing the parking lot screams could be heard and Santana and Brittany got surrounded by students. They were shouting for Santana's attention and she was trying to push her and Brittany through the mass. Santana took a hold of Brittany's hand since she had to pull and the pinky lock wasn't ideal for that. Santana continued pushing what was a little harder than she thought and suddenly Joe was standing next to her helping her and Brittany to get into the building. Joe accompanied them till they reached the principal's office. Besides glances and whispers nothing else happened while they were walking through the halls of McKinley.

"Oh my god, thank you Joe." Santana thanked Joe. "I'm sorry, Britt. Are you all right?" Santana turned to Brittany who was looking a bit startled.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Surprised I guess." Santana nodded and gave Brittany's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"I have to get inside. Holly and Sam are already waiting for me. Joe please walk Brittany to her classroom. I don't want anything else to happen. And Britt I'll see you later." Santana hugged Brittany and with a last wave she got into the office. Sam and Holly were sitting in front of a man whom Santana was assuming it was the principal. There was a name tag on his desk in front of him indicating that his name was Mr. Figgins.

"Hello, Ms. Lopez. Pleasure meeting you. Welcome to McKinley High." Mr. Figgins stood up and shook Santana's hand politely.

"Thank you, Mr. Figgins." She replied and took a seat next to Sam who gave her a warm smile.

"So, here are your schedules. Our school offers many things. Sam for you for example there is the football team. You are more than welcome to join. Santana you can join the cheerleading squad. And we also have a glee club. But it is your decision to join. So if you haven't any questions you are free to go to your classes."

"Thank you, Mr. Figgins." Holly said and stood up. Sam and Santana took their schedules and headed to their classes.

Brittany entered the classroom searching for her best friend. When she saw Quinn sitting in the back row she made her way towards her and took the seat next to her. Right after Brittany sat down the teacher entered the classroom and started the lesson.

"Hey, Quinn." Brittany greeted her best friend. Quinn didn't respond she just kept staring at the front ignoring Brittany completely. "I'm sorry." Brittany said after realizing why Quinn was mad. She was mad because Brittany wasn't at home this morning when Quinn was supposed to pick her up. But after Santana showed up Brittany had forgotten about Quinn. She was just so happy that Santana was there that she wanted to spent as much time with her as possible and since Santana lived now in Lima she would have the chance to do so and not even Quinn's grumpy mood could ruin Brittany's excitement and happiness. She had Santana now as a constant in her life.

"You're sorry, Brittany? I hope you have a good reason for why you weren't at home this morning." Quinn whispered angrily. Now Brittany wasn't so sure if she should mention Santana picking her up. The last time Quinn was scared that Brittany would replace her and now she had dumped Quinn for getting a ride from Santana. Brittany didn't want Quinn to worry about losing her because that would never happen but Quinn was always questioning something and deep inside she had the same insecurities as every teenager although it didn't seem like it when she was walking with her head held high through the halls of the school. Everyone thought that Quinn was mean and a bitch but she was just a nice, friendly, Christian girl who went every Sunday to church. She wanted to be loved and she wanted to be happy. She didn't 'sin' like the church liked to say. "Brittany!"

"Sorry, I was thinking."

"Yeah, I noticed. So are you going to tell me now why you weren't home today when I wanted to pick you up?" Brittany decided to just tell Quinn the truth. Quinn was her best friend and she didn't have to worry about being replaced because of Santana. And if Quinn felt still insecure about their friendship then that meant that she wasn't that sure about it. Brittany wanted Quinn to trust her and be sure that she isn't replaceable. Brittany opened her mouth to answer but right at that moment the door opened and Santana entered the classroom. Whispers could be heard through the classroom and a big smile appeared on Brittany's face.

"She was the reason." Brittany leant towards Quinn without averting her gaze from Santana.

"Santana? What is she doing here?"

"Holly got a job offer to work here and they moved to Lima. Sam is here, too. And anyway Santana came and picked me up. She wanted to surprise me." Brittany smiled while she was explaining to Quinn. When Santana caught sight of Brittany she smiled and after all the formalities like introducing although she didn't have to everyone knew her Santana took a seat at the desk next to Brittany's. She mouthed a 'hey' which Brittany returned and they turned their heads back to the teacher. Quinn sighed and shook her head. "Seriously, Q. I told you that you don't have to worry about, Santana. I'm really sorry for today but I was just really happy when she came by, okay? And I'm sick of all this, Q. Stop being so insecure and just trust me. I would never ever replace you."

"Brittany and Quinn, stop talking." Mrs. Davis the teacher demanded before continuing the lesson. Brittany mumbled a sorry. She received a worried look from Santana.

"You okay?" She whispered. Brittany nodded and mouthed a thanks. The rest of the lesson passed in silence. Neither of the girls paid much attention to Mrs. Davis. Santana and Brittany were occupied with writing notes to each other and Quinn was sitting annoyed there watching how Santana and Brittany were giggling.

Quinn was standing at her locker looking for her books. She was still mad at Brittany because she dumped her. It didn't matter that it was Santana. Or maybe it was because of Santana but that was off topic right now. Quinn was not a second choice and she would not sit around and just watch while Santana's taking Brittany away from her. Quinn was Brittany's best friend and she didn't want that to change. But maybe she was just jealous because Brittany was the one close to Santana freaking Lopez. Quinn loved Brittany she really did but why did Santana chose Brittany? For crying out loud she didn't even like her in the first place. Quinn wanted to bang her head against her locker. But decided against it. Instead she adjusted her Cheerios uniform and continued looking calmly in her locker for her books. At least she tried to be calm.

"Hey, Quinn." A male voice startled Quinn and she out her hand on her chest feeling her increased heartbeat. She couldn't see the face of the guy but it was familiar and she smiled when she closed the door of her locker and looked into grey eyes. "Jeez, Sam you startled me."

"I'm sorry." Sam apologized. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. So you moved to Lima I heard?"

"Yeah, we did. Santana was really excited."

"You were living in freaking Los Angeles. Why the hell is she excited about being in this shit hole?"

"Let's just say that Santana had her reasons." Sam ran his hand through his hair wanting to avoid the question. He knew that Santana wanted to be in a public school but the reason for ending up in Lima was Brittany. Santana didn't know it though. Holly was the one who applied only for jobs in Lima so that Santana could continue seeing Brittany. They didn't know exactly what was going on between Brittany and Santana. They could only assume but from what they knew was that Brittany was a big part of Santana's life now judging by Santana's good mood and smiles. Even if Santana didn't realize it, not yet anyway, Sam and Holly knew that she would get there eventually. Quinn just nodded and smiled. "Hey, Quinn, I was wondering…um do you want… to go on a date with me on Friday?" He asked shyly. The making out incident at the glee club party was embarrassing for both of them and they had decided to not mention it again. Quinn smiled and nodded.

"I'd love to."

"Great. Text me your address and I'm gonna pick you up at seven."

"Will do."

"Okay, great. Well I have to go now. See you later." Sam smiled and pecked Quinn's cheek before disappearing. Girls in the halls gasped and Quinn got some jealous looks. Not that she didn't receive them at all but those were different. She glared at the girls and they looked away afraid.

* * *

Santana was walking with Brittany through the halls of McKinley talking and laughing when a short blonde girl with glasses and the same Cheerios uniform Brittany and Quinn were wearing stepped in front of them making them stop. Santana looked confused and Brittany smiled sweetly at the girl making Santana's heart jump in her chest.

"Hey, Becky. What can we do for you?" Brittany asked.

"Not you, but you can." Becky turned to Santana. "Coach Sue wants to see you in her office now. You better not let her wait." And with that Becks stormed off leaving the girls confused standing in the middle of the hallway.

"Who's Coach Sue?" Santana asked finally.

"Sue Sylvester is the Cheerios' coach. And San really you better not let her wait. I'll show you her office. Come on." Brittany smiled and linked her pinky through Santana's.

"Should I be scared of her?"

"Maybe a little." Brittany confessed. "She's mean and incredibly rude."

"We'll see." Santana said more to herself and followed Brittany till they reached the office.

"So here we are now. I'll wait for you here. Good luck and don't let her get to you." Brittany said as she stopped in front of Coach Sylvester's office.

"Thank you, Britt." Santana smiled and knocked at the door of the office before getting inside. When she walked in she could only see an office chair turned away from her and the back of a head. The office was pretty impressive to Santana. It was full with shelves which were filled with different trophies. Santana nodded impressed. "Coach Sylvester you wanted to see me?" Santana asked and Coach Sylvester turned around seeing Santana standing at the door.

"Yes, Santana take a seat." Santana nodded and took a seat on the chair in front of Coach Sylvester's desk. "So Santana I called you here because I have an offer for you. I watched a few videos of your show and well I was impressed by your acrobatic skills. You're a very talented girl."

"Thank you bit what has this to do with-" Sue cut her off.

"Wait, Santana. Well it made me think and I want you to be a Cheerio."

"Coach, I feel flattered but no, I won't join the squad." Santana said firmly.

"You don't understand that right, Santana. I will make you head Cheerio."

"No, you don't understand, Coach. I said I won't join and I mean it." Sue knew that she couldn't persuade the girl with being popular. Santana was already famous so Sue couldn't do much more than accepting Santana's decision. Only that she couldn't accept it. Maybe Santana didn't want to join now but Sue wasn't going to back off. She would get the girl to join the Cheerios. She wanted the fame Santana had. She wanted her Cheerios to have more power and with Santana no one would mess with them. And Santana somehow seemed to sense that Sue's ulterior motives weren't for Santana's own good. She was talented but she didn't want to get head Cheerleader this way. She wanted like everyone else to try out and get into the squad. But that wouldn't make any difference because she didn't want to be a cheerleader. "So if you'll excuse me now." Santana said and stood up walking out of the office where Brittany was waiting for her.

"So what did she want?"

"She wanted me to join the Cheerios and be head cheerleader." Santana said shrugging and motioned for Brittany to walk with her through the now deserted hallways. The rest of the students were in the cafeteria for their lunch break.

"So are you a Cheerio now?"

"No, I didn't want to. I know I am good and that I could make it but I also know that she didn't want me only for my skills. She wanted me because of my fame and if I wanted to join I would try out just like everyone else. That's the main reason I why I wanted to attend a public school. Normality and be treated like everyone else."

"I understand. So do you want to grab lunch?"

"Sorry, Britt, I can't. I want some peace and quiet. Do you have any idea how many autographs I had to give today? And everyone's staring at me. I mean I knew that would happen but that doesn't make it less annoying. I think I will just go to the library or something."

"Okay, if you need something text me and I'll be there." Brittany said.

"Thanks, Britt. See you later." Brittany waved and walked towards the cafeteria. Santana sighed and walked to her locker wanting to leave a book there before finding the library. She enjoyed the silent minutes she was having and she finally let the events of the day soak in. The stares and he screams, the whole things she learned and the stupid conversations. The stupid jocks looking her up and down while she was walking down the hallway and whistling when she passed them. She hadn't seen Sam since she was in Mr. Figgins' office today and she was missing his comfort. She just wanted everything to be easier. She knew, though, from the beginning that this wouldn't be easy but Santana Lopez didn't give up. She was a fighter and she wouldn't let a stupid high school and its students bring her down.

"You stupid fag! Look at me weird again and I will beat the crap out of you." Santana heard a male voice and when she walked around the corner she saw a huge jock who looked like a gorilla holding the collar of a familiar boy and pushing him against the lockers his fist playing threateningly in front of the boy's head who was holding his hands up defensively with a light smirk on his face. Was he crazy laughing at this building in front of him? It was then when Santana remembered the boy with the incredibly mass of hair gel in his hair and the bow tie. It was Blaine, one of Brittany's friends. He was singing with this annoying Rachel chick when Santana was at the party. That he was Brittany's friend meant that Santana had to do something. She approached the two boys.

"Hey, gorilla." The jock let go off Blaine and looked at Santana. "Yeah, I mean you meathead."

"What do you want here? Go back to whatever you were doing." He said angrily.

"Do you have any idea who the fuck I am?"

"Santana Lopez, and?"

"That's right. I'm Santana Lopez. I have so much power that I just need to make one call and your family will be deported to Uganda without noticing it. Touch him again and I will make this fucking call." Santana threatened annoyed by the bully's behavior. Santana pulled her iPhone from the pocket of her blazer and held it up for him to see. "Am I clear?" The jock didn't answer he punched the locker leaving and dent and walked off angrily. Santana put her phone back into her pocket and walked towards Blaine who was sitting now on the floor leaning his back against the lockers. Santana sat down next to him. "You okay?"

"Yeah, thank you. No offense but I can stand up for myself." Blaine looked at Santana giving her a smile.

"I don't doubt that at all but that doesn't stop him from bullying you, though. What was his deal anyway?"

"This was Dave Karofsky. He's something like the school's bully, he and his friend Azimio. I'm gay and he has his own issues to deal with. That's his reason for bullying."

"He's an ass." Santana said. "So it's lunch break. What are you doing here anyway?"

"I don't know. The cafeteria is crowded and I wanted some peace and quiet. Last week there was a food fight. I had to throw my favorite pants into the garbage. What are you doing here? I mean you're Santana Lopez. You're now the most popular girl at school everyone's talking about dating you. And I'm not only talking about guys." Blaine laughed.

"Same reason as you. I have enough time for being stared at and I think that my popularity doesn't matter. I'm already famous." Santana shrugged.

"For a celebrity you're really nice, I have to admit."

"Thank you but don't tell anyone though."

"I promise. So what do you want to do now?"

"Actually I was thinking about going to the library."

"Not a good idea. Jacob Ben Israel is there and trust me you don't want to meet him. It is a wonder that you haven't met him, yet."

"What do you have in mind, Blaine?"

"Well cafeteria and library are out of consideration. Rachel and Kurt are in the choir room so I would suggest the auditorium unless you want to continue sitting on the floor."

"No, better not. The auditorium sounds good to me." Blaine nodded, stood up and helped Santana up. Blaine offered his arm while they walked to the auditorium and Santana linked her arm through Blaine's accepting the offer happily. Blaine was a nice kid and she didn't regret helping him. He somehow reminded her of Sam. His good manners and his respectful treatment towards her.

Blaine being gay made Santana think, though. She didn't have anything against him he just brought thoughts up in her about herself. And there she was again having to think about feelings. She sighed and shook her head. Blaine raised an eyebrow but didn't press the issue. He led Santana to the auditorium and held the door open for her to enter the dark hall. Blaine continued leading Santana till they reached the stage.

"Ms. Lopez would you give me the honor to sing with you." Blaine joked earning a giggle from Santana.

"Of course Mr.? Wait, what is your last name."

"Anderson."

"Of course Mr. Anderson. Lemme grab a guitar." Santana took a guitar and secured it around her shoulders. She sat at the edge of the stage, her feet tangling from it and waved Blaine over to take a seat next to her. As soon as Blaine sat next to her Santana started playing the opening chords. Gladly Blaine knew the song and he gave her a smile when she started playing.

"_I stare at my reflection in the mirror. Why am I doing this to myself? Losing my mind on a tiny error, I nearly left the real me on the shelf. No, no, no, no..._" Blaine started singing. Santana was impressed by his talent - he was really good. She had heard him at the party but she didn't pay attention to it and he was drunk.

"_Don't lose who you are, in the blur of the stars! Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing. It's okay not to be okay... Sometimes it's hard, to follow your heart. Tears don't mean you're losing, everybody's bruising. Just be true to who you are!_" The song Santana had chosen was one of her favorites but now where she started singing along she noticed how close to home it really was. And suddenly she started confessing to herself what she was trying to avoid the past days.

Yes, she was in love with Brittany S. Pierce and she wanted to be with her but she was terrified about her feelings. For fuck's sake that meant that she was a… She didn't even want to say the word. She was not ready for it and sure she wouldn't say it out loud. At least not yet. And then there was the other question. Would she act on her feelings? What if Brittany didn't like her the way Santana liked her? And what if anyone found out? Santana would end up in all the tabloids. They would end her. That was it, Brittany would be her death someday if this came out. Fact was that Santana was not ready to accept herself for being a… for having those feelings. It was not that she had a problem with it. Holly had raised her to accept things and be open-minded, so homosexual people were always accepted in their little family. It was just that all the time Santana thought she knew herself. All those years she thought she knew who she was and what was going on with her. Turns out that everything was a lie. A huge stupid, fucking lie. This newfound bit of herself made her feel insecure. She felt like she wasn't in charge of herself anymore, she lost control and that was terrifying.

"_Yes, No's, egos, fake shows like woah! Just go, and leave me alone! Real talk, real life, good love, goodnight, with a smile, that's my own! That's my own. No, no, no, no… Don't lose who you are, in the blur of the stars! Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing. It's okay not to be okay... Sometimes it's hard, to follow your heart. Tears don't mean you're losing, everybody's bruising. Just be true to who you are!_" Santana played the last chords and put the guitar aside when they had finished.

Blaine had helped her without even having the intention to do it and Santana was really thankful although it gave her even more to think and to worry about now.

"Thank you, Blaine." Santana hugged Blaine. He was confused and whatever it was what he did Santana was more than welcome.

"You're welcome." He said and wrapped his arms around her pulling her a little closer.

"Santana?" Brittany's voice echoed through the auditorium.

"Brittany." Santana shouted. She jumped off the stage and ran to the entrance wrapping her arms around Brittany's waist.

"I was looking for you everywhere. I felt bad for leaving you alone and I wan-"

"Shh. You're here now, Britt and that's all that matters." Santana whispered and buried her face into Brittany's neck. Brittany rested her head on Santana's and pulled the shorter girl as close as she could. She looked at Blaine confused, surprised about his appearance but he just shrugged and smiled at the two hugging girls who seemed lost in their own little world.

* * *

Sam was leaning against the wall in front of the teachers' lounge waiting for Holly. After the last period Sam and Holly had agreed to meet and go look for Santana to finally go home. But now Holly was almost half an hour in the lounge and the halls were already deserted. Deciding to distract himself a little Sam pulled his phone out of his pocket and started playing some random games until Holly appeared minutes later sighing and rolling her eyes. She was holding her purse and jacket in one hand and ran the other hand through her hair.

"Sorry, Sammy. This Will Shuester didn't stop talking and then his wife came along and you can guess what happened." Holly sighed. "Did you see Santana?"

"No, I was waiting for you. But we can go look for her now."

"Okay, great. We'll try lockers?" Holly suggested. Sam nodded. Searching for Santana was easier than they expected it to be. She was sitting on the floor with Brittany leaning against the lockers and taking pictures with Santana's iPhone. They were making weird faces and then laughing excessively. Sam and Holly looked at each other knowingly smiling.

"Hey, girls." Holly said and the two girls looked up still giggling.

"Hey." They said in unison.

"You ready to go home?"

"Yes, I just have to give Britt a ride." Santana said a bit disappointed for having to leave Brittany.

"Oh, you don't have to. Brittany, would you like to come over and have dinner with us?" Brittany's and Santana's faces lit up. Santana looked at Brittany and gave her an encouraging nod.

"Okay, I'll come over." She said smiling.

"Great." Santana squealed and hugged Brittany earning a giggle from her and her family.

* * *

"Holy fuck! This is your house?" Brittany said in awe when they entered the monstrous house. "Holy fuck!" Santana giggled and took Brittany's hand to pull her with her because she wasn't moving an inch from where she stood.

"C'mon I'll show you the rest of the house."

"Girls, dinner will be ready in about an hour." Holly shouted before the girls disappeared upstairs.

"They're really cute together." Sam added.

"I know, right? I hope Santana doesn't mess this up. So do you wanna help me make dinner?"

"Sure." Sam shrugged and followed Holly into the kitchen.

* * *

After Santana had showed Brittany the whole house who was impressed they spent some time in Santana's room watching a movie. They were lying on Santana's bed. Santana's heart was beating like crazy and she was trying to put enough space between them so that it wasn't too obvious. She was sure that Brittany could hear her heartbeat, though. She was fighting the urge to reach over and touch Brittany which was very difficult. She wanted and needed the physical contact with the other girl and she was struggling to keep her hands off of Brittany. Brittany sensed that something was off with Santana. Usually they were sitting really close with their pinkies locked or somehow touching each other. And now Brittany wanted to touch Santana. She wanted to feel the warmth of her touch and the tingles in her body which Santana always caused. Even the lightest graze of Santana's hand made a warm feeling spread in her chest and her heart beat faster. So she decided to not fight the urge.

"San, you're going to fall of the bed." Brittany took a hold of Santana's arm and pulled her closer. She put her head on Santana's chest and snuggled into the shorter girl. Santana tried to breathe calmly so that Brittany wouldn't notice something but Brittany could hear her heartbeat and it was beating as fast as her own. She pulled Santana even closer who was a little tensed up. But when Brittany sighed in contentment Santana calmed down and put her arms around Brittany's torso. "You're comfy." Brittany mumbled and buried her nose into Santana's dress. Santana smelt like Magnolia flowers and Brittany knew that this would definitely end up being her favorite scent. Santana started stroking Brittany's hair and felt how the girl relaxed under her touch.

"You won't fall asleep, will you?" She asked.

"If dinner won't be ready in the next few minutes I probably will."

"Do you want to go downstairs and look if dinner's ready?"

"Yeah, let's do that." Brittany separated her body from Santana's and together they walked downstairs. Sam was setting the kitchen island and Holly was pulling lasagna out of the oven.

"Smells good, Holly." Santana said while taking a seat at the kitchen island. She patted the stool next to her for Brittany. Holly served up all the plates and they started eating.

"So, kids, how was the first day of school?"

"I made quarterback on the football team! This Finn guy was not pleased but that's not my problem."

"That's my bro." Santana said, high-fiving Sam.

"Oh and Puck was asking things about you, San. Don't worry I didn't tell him anything but don't be surprised when he starts hitting on you." He added.

"Oh god he was so annoying at the party. He was looking at me as if I was something to eat. I hope he has fun with rejections, though, because he won't get any of this." Santana pointed at her body rolling her eyes and took a bite of her lasagna.

"And I asked Quinn on a date."

"You asked Quinn on a date? She didn't tell me that." Brittany pouted a little.

"When should she tell you that? You were the whole time with me." Santana replied.

"Oh yeah I forgot." Brittany grinned sweetly a Santana which was returned gratefully.

"Santana, how was your day?" Holly asked.

"I saved Blaine from a guy. His name was Karofsky or something."

"He's in the football team with me." Sam added.

"I spent the lunch break with Blaine in the auditorium and the Brittany came along." Santana couldn't hold back the smile that appeared on her face by saying Brittany's name. "And Coach Sylvester offered me to be head cheerleader. I said no, though. I'd rather earn my way onto the team. Holly, your turn."

"Well the students are great. They tried to play some pranks on me but failed. I think I made a good impression, though. Will Shuester is a nice guy but he talks way too much. Oh and Sue and I had a nice talk. Will had warned me about her being mean and unpredictable but she made a good impression on me. We laughed a lot so I really don't understand what he was talking about."

"She is a little creepy, though. And Britt actually warned me too. But I get the feeling that she's not gonna try anything."

"We'll see. So does anyone want dessert?" Holly stood up put her plate into the sink and opened the freezer and pulled a container with ice cream out. Grabbing for spoons she put the container onto the kitchen island.

"Actually, I would love to but I have to go home. My mom's waiting." Brittany said sadly.

"I'm sure you have some time for ice cream, honey. Santana is going to give you a ride. Right, Santana?"

"Of course, Britt- Britt." Santana smiled encouragingly. Brittany nodded taking the spoon Holly had given her and started digging in like the rest of their little group.

* * *

"So here we are." Santana said when she halted her Porsche in front of Brittany's house. She got out of the car and opened the door for Brittany.

"Thank you." Santana walked Brittany to the door where they finally had to say goodbye. "I had fun today and it is really awesome that you're living in Lima now." Brittany smiled.

"I had fun, too. Do you know that I hate saying goodbye to you? Even if it's just for a few hours." Santana admitted honestly.

"Close your eyes and count to five."

"What?" Santana asked confused.

"Just trust me." Brittany said taking a hold of Santana's hand. Santana nodded and closed her eyes eventually.

"One, two, three…" She felt how Brittany gave her hand a last squeeze before letting it go. "Four…" A kiss on the cheek. "Five." And after opening her eyes Brittany had gone. Santana sighed happily and smiled into the darkness. Her heart beating faster again. And before she drove back home Santana just wished that every time she had to leave Brittany it would end this way. But of course it would be just better if her time with Brittany would never have to end…

* * *

**A/N Hey guys, sorry for the long wait. I had the chapter finished yesterday but my beta and I decided to change some things. The song is called Who you are by Jessie J. Thanks to my beta Alex and I hope you enjoyed the chapter :) Let me know what you think either here or on my tumblr kissinglips95. tumblr. com **


	9. Chapter 9: Dark Side

**Chapter 9: Dark Side**

* * *

Santana was sitting at the kitchen island more staring than eating her cereal tiredly. She was silent since she woke up this morning and she hadn't even noticed when she put her clothes on. Looking down at her choice in clothes in case she had put on something that looked awful- gladly she had put on a pair of jeans and a long sleeved black shirt with a V-neck- she sighed and returned the spoon to the bowl.

Holly and Sam were looking at her silently wondering what was going on in her head. Yesterday she was so happy and now she was sitting there depressed, deep in thought and not even looking up.

Santana hadn't gotten much sleep during night. She'd been lying awake for hours thinking about what she was going to do with Brittany. It was hard, although she was hundred percent sure of her feelings. She was head over heels in love with Brittany. Every thought was dedicated to her. Everything she did had something to do with the girl.

It wasn't a secret that Brittany was making Santana happy in every way. Every feeling that was described in books and in songs like the quickening heartbeat, the butterflies in the tummy, the tingling feeling with every touch of the person you loved, the warm feeling in your chest and the feeling of home. Santana could feel every single one when she was with Brittany. She was pretty sure that Brittany liked her, too. That would explain the snuggling and the kisses on the cheek. She would be with Brittany in a heartbeat.

But she was afraid that Brittany would leave her like everyone else did. Like her parents did. Like Brittany would. Santana was messed up and as soon as Brittany found out, she would leave, not wanting to be bothered any more by Santana and the mess she was inside. She didn't know how she would deal with it if she lost Brittany. But why was she even thinking about it? Brittany wasn't her girlfriend. She was her friend. Sadly, only her friend. Santana groaned frustrated and put her still full bowl into the sink. Sam and Holly looked at each other and Sam gave Holly a nod to talk to Santana. When Santana sat back and looked at her mug with the cold coffee she started playing with the ring on her finger and chewed on her bottom lip, nervous habits she had.

"Santana what's going on?" Holly finally asked not bearing seeing Santana so frustrated. Santana sighed and rested her head onto the cold counter. She mumbled something that Holly and Sam couldn't understand and then groaned again. "Honey, I don't speak 'frustrated Santana'." Santana sat up and looked again at her mug before looking Holly in the eye.

"I'm in love with Brittany." She repeated what she had mumbled earlier. Holly and Sam smiled, finally hearing the confirmation of what they were assuming for a while now.

"And why's that a problem? I mean, it's pretty obvious that she likes you too. It was just a matter of time till you would finally admit that you're in love with her. I think it's easy between you two and the way you two act around each other."

"Even if Brittany has feelings for me…"

"Which she has." Sam interrupted.

"Yeah anyway. I am afraid that she is gonna leave me. Holly, I'm messed up. I am everything but easy. It's a matter of time till she realizes that I'm difficult and she won't want to stick around me anymore. And that's what I am afraid of. Oh and don't forget the media. If they find it out that I'm…" Santana paused looking nervously at her family.

"That you're what Santana?" Holly wanted Santana to say it out loud. She wanted Santana to be proud of who she was and if she couldn't say it out loud then she wasn't ready for Brittany either. That would be sad though, because Brittany wouldn't wait forever. Santana took a shaky breath. The time for honesty had come.

"…that I'm gay." Santana finally admitted. Holly nodded proudly and smiled at the girl taking her hand. It was easier to say it than Santana had originally thought. It didn't sound that bad now when Santana was thinking about it. Like really, really thinking about it. Being honest, Santana realized that women were definitely the more beautiful gender. It was nice to love someone who could understand you and knew your body. Women had this awesome ability to carry life. Women were in so many ways complicated but yet they were so profound and simple.

"Listen to me, Santana. You love Brittany and obviously she loves you. Don't let your insecurity bring you down. You're a brave girl and I raised you to be proud of yourself. I know you're not easy but neither is Sam or myself. Everyone has their own issues to deal with and trust me Santana, if you don't go for it you will regret it. Don't worry about the media. If you are careful no one will find out until you're ready to come out. There will be people who have a problem with it but Santana there are already people who have a problem with you. You can't make everyone happy and you don't need to. The only person you have to make happy is yourself. And don't forget other LGBT teenagers out there. You will be a role model for so many of them. I'm not saying that you have to come out of the closet but some day you are going to want to be honest with your fans, with your family and with everyone else in this world. Just take one step at a time. Don't rush things. And since when does Santana Lopez care about what other people think of her? Todo va a estar bien." Holly said and Santana nodded and smiled at Holly's use of Spanish. Both of them were fluent in it. Santana because she was Hispanic and Holly because she was a Spanish teacher.

Santana used to speak with her parents Spanish and with Holly sometimes too as Holly didn't want Santana to forget her mother tongue. Whenever Santana and Holly spoke Spanish it was mostly because they were talking about something Sam wasn't supposed to hear and he was sitting there and trying to understand. Living with Holly and Santana had taught him some Spanish but he wasn't perfect in it. He understood enough to know the general topic of the conversation most of the time. But this time Sam understood everything and gave Santana an encouraging nod.

"Gracias." Santana said and took a deep calming breath. "I'm so glad I have you guys."

"No, problem, sweetie. We love you. So what are you going to do now with Brittany?"

"I don't know. I want to see how things are going between me and her and then I will see if I am going to act on my feelings or not."

"Don't wait too long though. She isn't going to wait forever."

"I won't. I promise. I'm not gonna mess this up, not with Brittany. She's too important."

"Okay, I'm glad to hear that. Are you going to give her a ride or will you go with Sam? Because I have to leave now. I have some preparations to do for the lesson."

"We can do both, can't we Sam?" Sam nodded.

"Okay, great guys. I'll see you later then. And Santana don't forget what we discussed."

"I won't. See you later." And with that Holly grabbed her purse and jacket and walked out of the house. "So back to you. What are you going to do with Quinn on Friday?"

"I don't know I was thinking about dinner and a movie. Puck told me about this restaurant called Breadstix. They give you breadsticks till you pass out."

"The restaurant sounds good but I think there is one problem. Sam, everyone knows you, you won't enjoy this date because everyone is going to stare at you. And the media still didn't find out where we're living, you don't want to risk that. Do something where you can have some alone time with her. Why don't you just invite her over? Order something and watch a movie with her here."

"Actually that sounds better, I might do that. So are we going to pick Brittany up or what?" Santana shot up from her stool and put her jacket on. "You're still sitting? Stand up we're going to pick Brittany up." Sam laughed and stood up grabbing his things.

"She's not even your girlfriend and you're already whipped."

"Shut up, Sam." Santana slapped the back of Sam's head and dragged him out of the house.

* * *

"How did you manage to get the locker next to mine?"

"I talked to Mr. Figgins and he gave me a new one. He would do anything if I asked him." Santana closed the door of her locker and leaned against it waiting for Brittany. "So what is with Quinn? I didn't see you guys talking today."

"She's still mad at me for dumping her yesterday morning."

"She should be mad at me. I was the one who came without saying anything, Britt. I will talk to her, I didn't want to cause problems between you two. I know she's your best friend and I don't want to be the reason of you two arguing. I'm really sorry." Brittany closed her locker and took Santana's hand in hers.

"Hey." She said softly. "Don't worry about her. It is not your fault. It is her fault for not believing me when I say that she is my best friend. I don't want you to worry about what is going on with me and Quinn, okay? I want you to just concentrate on me and you."

"Okay." Santana smiled and hugged Brittany. A clearing of a throat interrupted them and Santana pulled away looking at an older man with curly hair.

"Oh, hey Mr. Shue." Brittany smiled at the teacher.

"Hello, Brittany. Hello Santana, I am Mr. Shuester." Mr. Shuester offered his hand and Santana shook it politely.

"Hello, Mr. Shuester?" Santana said a bit irritated glancing to Brittany as if she knew the answer but Brittany just shrugged sensing Santana's irritation.

"I had a question for you Santana. Have you ever heard something about the glee club?"

"Yeah, Mr. Figgins told me that there is one and Brittany talks about it, too and I know the members. But what exactly does that have to do with me?"

"Well our school is incredibly lucky to have someone as talented and as famous as you are and I think you would be a great addition to the New Directions. And the kids could learn many things from you. I would feel very honored if you joined us."

"I'm sorry, but I won't join." Mr. Shuester stood there dumbfounded, but he was expecting this kind of answer. His glee club wasn't popular and he hoped that with Santana's help he could bring more students to join the club.

"Okay, well I guess you have your reasons. Would you at least give us a performance? To show the kids how a real star performs?" He asked and Santana seemed to think about it.

"C'mon, San. You like singing and it's your job! Come to the glee club meeting today and show us something. Please?" Brittany interrupted and grinned at Santana. She seemed so excited about it that Santana just couldn't say no to Brittany's cuteness. Mr. Shuester nodded encouragingly.

"Okay, fine." Brittany pulled Santana into a tight hug giggling and bounced up and down. "Okay, Britt calm down." Santana laughed. "So when is the meeting?"

"After school." Mr. Shuester answered.

"Bring the kids to the auditorium and I will be there ready for the performance, I will think of something."

"Awesome. Thank you very much Santana." Mr. Shuester laughed and walked off obviously happy about the chance of learning his glee club got.

"You're awesome. Did you know that?" Brittany asked.

"Hmm I know but I don't mind hearing it one more time."

"You're awesome." Brittany giggled and with linked arms they walked to their next class.

* * *

Santana and Brittany were sitting in chemistry trying to pay attention to what Mr. Harrison was explaining to them. Today they had planned to do an experiment which he called funny, but Santana wasn't really sure if it was funny since teachers were strange and so were their hobbies. It was hard to concentrate when Brittany was sitting so close to her, Brittany's legs touching hers. Santana was wearing long pants but that didn't stop the burning sensation she was feeling. She had a hard time controlling her breathing and calming down her crazy beating heart. Trying to ignore all those feeling she returned her attention to the teacher who was talking excitedly about the experiment.

"The basic idea is this. First mix concentrated hydrogen peroxide with some liquid soap. Then add a catalyst to make the hydrogen peroxide break down really quickly. Hydrogen peroxide breaks down into oxygen and water. There's a lot of oxygen trapped in peroxide, so this rapid decomposition results in lots of oxygen that needs to quickly push out of the container. As the peroxide breaks down, the soap that was mixed in will also combine with the water from the break down process, and turn into foam. The oxygen gushing out is what makes the soap bubbles move. Add some food coloring before the catalyst and the foam will be colorful. Did everyone understand the task?" After some tired nods Mr. Harrison encouraged the class to start with the experiment. Santana made sure to read the instructions again to not mess this up before starting.

"We should totally add pink." Brittany said after Santana was finished with reading the instructions.

"Okay we can do that. Now mix the hydrogen peroxide with some liquid soap, Brittany." Brittany nodded and took some containers and started mixing these two things. Santana stopped paying attention for a short amount of time till she realized what Brittany was doing. "Gosh, Britt. That's too much soap." She took the container and closed it quickly hoping that it wouldn't have a too big effect on their experiment.

"I wanted lots of bubbles." Brittany pouted earning a giggle from Santana.

"Okay, Britt we'll see how it's going to look." Santana took the food coloring, adding some in their mixture. "And now I'm adding the catalyst." Brittany nodded and looked around. Some students had managed to accomplish the experiment successfully and the foam was looking pretty awesome. She looked back at Santana who was about to add the catalyst. When she added the liquid, a big fountain of pink foam shot up and Santana was quickly enough to hide behind Brittany squealing and giggling. Students around them looked at them and giggled too. Brittany was standing in front of Santana shielding her and so she got all the foam on her. She was covered with foam of the fountain and giggled,too. "Brittany." Santana could barely speak her tummy started aching from laughter and a few tears had managed to escape.

"So you think that's funny huh?" Brittany asked challengingly and took some of the foam.

"Brittany, don't you dare." Santana held her hands up trying to convince Brittany to not throw foam at her. But before she could react Brittany had thrown foam at her. "Brittany!" She squealed again and took foam, too throwing it at Brittany. Brittany wanted to throw foam again at Santana but got stopped by Mr. Harrison.

"Okay, girls I think that's enough. You proved that you can do the experiment even if it was a little excessive. You may now go and get cleaned up." He said. He was smiling, too so that was a sign that he wasn't mad but amused. Brittany and Santana nodded taking their things and walked to the girls' restroom to get cleaned up.

"Here, sit." Brittany patted the counter next to the sink for Santana to sit. Santana and nodded and climbed onto the counter.

"We did this experiment pretty awesome, didn't we?" She smiled. "And we could leave earlier and for once the lesson wasn't boring."

"I know." Brittany smiled and started helping Santana to get cleaned up. "It's really great that you're coming to our glee club meeting today." Brittany took a paper towel and wetted it a little.

"I did this for you. Not for anyone else." Santana said honestly and looked down at Brittany who had started to clean the foam from her shirt.

"Thank you then." Brittany looked up in Santana's eyes. She let the paper towel drop onto the ground. Standing straight she cupped Santana's cheek caressing it with her thumb. "I'm gonna kiss you now, okay?" Brittany whispered. Santana couldn't say anything. It was like her body wasn't reacting in the ways she wanted it to do. She just managed to give a nod and then watched how Brittany's face got closer and closer.

The air between them was static and with every inch Brittany came closer Santana could feel her breath against her lips. The girls' eyes were locked none of them wanting to look away. The moment was just too beautiful to just close the eyes but when their lips came in contact both of them closed their eyes wanting to just concentrate on their kiss.

At first their lips lingered on each other without moving, but then Brittany started moving her lips rhythmically against Santana's and Santana felt herself responding to it. She wrapped her arms around Brittany's neck and pulled her closer. The moment was magical and it was everything Santana was wishing for until she realized what she was doing, with who she was doing it and where. She pulled away and rested her forehead against Brittany's. Both their breaths were shorter and their cheeks were flushed. A tear rolled down Santana's cheek.

"I'm sorry, Brittany." She whispered, jumped of the counter and walked out of the restroom.

"Santana." Brittany whispered into the silence and leaned against the counter shaking her head in confusion.

* * *

Santana was in the auditorium sitting at the piano and playing some notes. Whenever she was frustrated or needed to think, the piano was her distraction. But now it wasn't doing its job. No matter what she did she was thinking about Brittany and the amazing kiss. She didn't know why she had pulled away. Maybe it was because she couldn't bear what she was feeling during the kiss. It was passionate and slow. It filled Santana with so much love and pride. It was not one of those heated kisses you saw on TV.

Santana wanted to slap herself for leaving Brittany back in the restrooms. She just had felt overwhelmed from so many feelings. Love, happiness, contentment, safety, confusion, fear… and then she had started crying because everything was such a mess. She was such a mess. She couldn't do that to Brittany. She couldn't let Brittany deal with her issues. Santana had never believed in love but then Brittany came and it was so easy to fall in love with her. It was feelings what made Santana feel out of control. It was her fault for leaving her guards down which protected her from feeling. No! Santana punched some random keys causing a loud, sound to echo through the auditorium. She wasn't going to go back where she was terrified and ignorant. If so, she would lose Brittany and that was much more terrifying. Santana punched the keys again. She stood up and kicked the stool she was sitting seconds ago causing it to fall off the stage. Santana groaned frustrated loudly and fell on her knees running her hands through her hair.

"You okay, Santana?" A voice snapped Santana back to reality. She looked up and saw Blaine picking the stool up and bringing it up to the stage. He put it carefully back to its place and walked over to Santana. He offered her a hand and she took it gratefully standing up. Blaine led Santana gently back to the piano and they sat on the stool.

"Thank you." Santana whispered. "What are you doing here?"

"Kurt, my boyfriend, was excited about something that's happening today in glee club and he wanted to rehearse a song with Rachel so I decided to just come back here."

"Yeah, maybe Mr. Shuester told them that I would come today. I have to show you how to perform."

"Yeah that's likely the reason. So what was that whole screaming thing about? Do you want to talk about it?" Santana looked up at Blaine who seemed interested. Not in the way journalists were but in the good friend way. Blaine was, in Santana's opinion, very kind and he made a trustworthy impression and since the day they had sung together Santana had warmed up to him. And he would understand maybe how Santana was feeling.

"Blaine, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Well I… um well I realized that I might be… um… gay." Santana whispered in case someone was there listening to them.

"And now you're afraid?" Blaine tried to find out what exactly the problem was.

"No, not at all. It's just that I always thought that I was straight and now suddenly everything has changed. I was living with a wrong idea of myself and that's what makes me angry I feel like I'm losing control. But that's not why I'm frustrated."

"Then why are you frustrated?"

"I'm in love with Brittany. We kissed today and it was magical but I chickened out and ran away. I don't want her to deal with my mess. I'm afraid that she's gonna leave me." Blaine nodded starting to understand what Santana's problem was.

"I understand you Santana but there is always a risk when you let people inside your heart. They can give you so much but they can take it away so easily. But the risk is worth it. If you truly love Brittany then I think you should be brave and show her that you love her. The insecurities don't compare to the feeling of love."

"Yeah, I kind of regretted running away earlier. I didn't dare to look at her. I think I really hurt her."

"Then you should do something so that she is going to forgive you. Do you have an idea of how you want to do it?"

"I don't know.. What if it's too late and she doesn't want me back?"

"Well, you don't know unless you try." Blaine shrugged.

"Okay, I'll do it. But how can I prove her that I am sorry and that I do love her?"

"We use singing songs to express our feelings in glee club. You can do that, too and since you have to perform today anyway why don't you choose a song that express your feelings for Brittany and your fear of her not loving you enough. No one has to know you're singing it for Brittany if you're not ready to come out and tell the world. It takes time to be out and proud."

"Thank you, Blaine. But we still have one problem. I have no idea what to sing to her."

"Leave this one to me I think I know which song you could sing." Blaine smirked knowingly.

* * *

"Dude, did you ask her about me?" Puck waited for Sam to take his helmet off after a long exhausting football practice. The boys were sweating and Sam just wanted to take a shower and not have this talk with Puck right now.

"Puck, I already told you that I won't ask Santana about you."

"Why not?" Puck followed Sam who started walking off, clearly annoyed by Puck.

"Because I'm not letting dudes like you anywhere near Santana. Besides I know that Santana has no interest in you. Just leave her alone." Sam sounded threatening. He was just protective of Santana and he knew guys like Puck and he was not going to let Puck anywhere near Santana. Besides Santana was gay and that meant Puck definitely did not have a chance. He liked Puck and he was a good friend but Sam didn't like him enough to let him near Santana.

"Calm down, dude. If you want her just say so and I will leave her alone." Puck held up his hands smirking and raising his eyebrow. Sam grabbed the collar of Puck's football shirt and slammed him against the locker angrily. That caught Puck off guard and he groaned in pain.

"Be careful what you say." Sam hissed angrily. "Keep your fucking hands off of Santana. Was that clear enough or do you want me to make it clear?"

"Calm down, dude. I was just joking. Jeez." Sam let go off Puck and adjusted his shirt.

"Keep your fucking jokes to yourself next time. I warned you about Santana if you want to be stubborn then go on. Be so dumb and bear rejection after rejection but if you do anything that makes her uncomfortable or she tells me anything that speaks against you I will crack your nuts. Understood?" Sam threatened a last time and walked off to take a damn shower ignoring whatever answer Puck gave him.

Santana had texted him before football practice asking if he wanted to come with her to the glee club meeting. Mr. Shuester had asked her to sing and Sam had promised his 'sister' to go with her. She also said she needed him as moral support but he had no idea what Santana meant. But whatever she needed him to do, he would be there supporting her. He just hoped that Puck would stop being so stubborn and didn't try anything because Santana had a temper and when she got angry then you'd better hide. He laughed at the idea of Santana kicking Puck in his balls and he turned the water on enjoying the prickling feeling and the cleanliness he was starting to feel.

* * *

Brittany was walking through the halls deep in thoughts. She was holding her book tightly to her chest. It was a defense mechanism. She was upset and sad. Why did Santana leave her? She had told her that she was going to kiss her and Santana didn't reject her. She thought that Santana liked her as much as she liked Santana.

She had heard Santana's heart beat the last time when they were lying on her bed. She knew it wasn't her normal beating speed because it was as fast as her own and that was because of Santana. The kiss felt awesome and Brittany thought that Santana felt the tingles going through her body, too. She just wanted to kiss Santana again and just lay down with her and cuddle till they fell asleep. But Santana left her in the middle of the god damned bathroom and she even cried.

Why was this so hard for her? Brittany didn't understand Santana's insecurities. Love was supposed to be easy. If two people were in love with each other they were together. Simple as that. She knew that Santana was under pressure. The whole being famous thing, going to a public school at the same time and working on her new album was stressing her. But what did everything have to do with Brittany? She wasn't going to hold her back. It was the exact opposite. Brittany would support Santana a hundred percent and even help her if she needed to.

She just was tired of pretending to not be in love with Santana. It didn't matter if they would be openly together or not. She just wanted Santana to be her girlfriend. But the incident after the kiss started to bug her. What if Santana thought that the kiss was a mistake? Or what if Brittany was a mistake? Brittany didn't even want to think about it. Normally she had only happy things in her head but since Santana she started thinking more realistically and her thoughts were more ordered and clear in her head.

She had exact imaginations of what she wanted to do and what she was feeling. It was good. It was refreshing and she stopped feeling stupid. Santana had shown her a completely different side of herself and she liked it. Santana never judged her because she wasn't as smart as everyone else. Santana just accepted things Brittany said and how she thought about things. It was easy to love Santana although Santana thought otherwise. And it was even easier to fall in love with her. Brittany wanted her so bad.

She wanted to be able to hold Santana's hand. She wanted to see Santana wear one of her hoodies or to wear one of Santana's. She wanted to kiss Santana whenever she wanted and she wanted to make love to Santana. She wanted to give everything of her to Santana. Share everything with Santana. Her love, desire, lust, tenderness, comfort and even the negative feelings. She wanted to be comforted by Santana when she was sad or upset and she wanted to comfort Santana when she was feeling bad. This wasn't just a random hook up and they hadn't even hooked up. Brittany was seventeen and she didn't know much about life but what she knew about herself and Santana, was that it was special and in Brittany's opinion it was meant to last for a long, long time. She always imagined being in a relationship really nice. To have someone you can share your experiences and make new ones. To stay up all night just because the lovers talk all night. Or midnight walks and dates. Brittany wanted all those things. But she wanted them with Santana and only Santana. There was no one else she could imagine it with. Brittany sighed and continued walking down the hall to her locker. She didn't pay much attention and she ran into a few of her teammates. She dropped her book and looked apologetically at her teammates.

"Sorry, Megan. Wasn't watching my way." Brittany apologized and went to pick up her book. Megan, though kicked the book away from Brittany. Brittany looked up seeing Megan with a fake smile and a fake apologetic expression.

"Ooops, I'm so, so sorry, Britt." Megan held up her hand covering her mouth earning a chuckle from the other Cheerios. Brittany had noticed that since she appeared at school with Santana, Megan and her so called friends were treating her differently. Of course when Quinn was around they were never doing anything but when Quinn wasn't around, Megan was giving Brittany dirty looks and was trying everything to embarrass her failing completely due to the fact that Brittany was either always with Santana or Quinn. Brittany decided to ignore Megan. She wasn't going to bring Brittany down and Brittany wouldn't let her to. Megan wasn't worth it and Brittany would definitely not go down to Megan's level. Megan was false like all the friends she pretended to have. Like the world full of lies she was living in. Whenever Brittany saw Megan she cherished her life even more and Megan always showed her the life she didn't want to live. Brittany felt pity for Megan because she would never have the things Brittany had.

"It's fine." Brittany replied bent down to take her book. This time Megan didn't try anything. Anger and annoyance flashed through her face because Brittany didn't react to anything she did. "See you at Cheerios practice." Brittany added calmly and walked off towards her locker. She was sure Megan was trying to kill her with her gaze but Brittany just shrugged it off and continued walking. She had her own issues to deal with. She just wanted to put her damn book into her damn locker and just go to the glee practice. The only problem was that Santana would be there and she didn't know how they were going to continue. Or even if they were going to continue? Would they just be friends again? Or did Santana want to ignore Brittany completely?

"Brittany, hold up a second." Another person interrupted Brittany. She groaned and turned around only to see Puck running towards her.

"Hi, Puck." She tried to sound friendly but even for the always friendly Brittany it was a challenge this time. Was she going to get to her damn locker sometime today? Brittany continued walking not caring if Puck would catch up or not. Apparently he did and Brittany rolled her eyes.

"So can I ask you something?" Puck asked somehow awkward.

"You just did."

"Yeah I mean another question." Brittany stopped walking and turned to Puck giving him a strange look.

"Spill it already, Puck." She sighed her patience getting less.

"So you're friends with Santana?"

"And?"

"So I wanted to ask her on a date." Brittany winced on the inside when she heard Puck say that. She didn't want Santana to go out on a date with Puck or with anyone else but her for that matter. But she couldn't just blurt that out. She took a calming breath and looked at Puck her lips pressed into a thin line.

"And you need me for what?"

"I don't know. I mean is there something she doesn't like or some things she want to do?" She loved Chinese food and normality. Brittany added in her thoughts.

"Puck, you should really ask Santana." And with that Brittany walked off wanting to leave Puck behind but he followed. "What Puck?" She asked annoyed.

"Nothing I am walking with you to your locker. It's next to Santana's and I am going to ask her out on a date." Brittany tensed and the only thing she wanted to do is slap Puck, shave his Mohawk off and shove his hair down his throat but that wasn't Brittany at all. Normally she wasn't the jealous type but knowing that she hadn't a chance and a guy like Puck could have one had made her crazy and sick to her stomach. Puck was an asshole and Brittany didn't want him anywhere near Santana.

She wanted to be by Santana and she didn't know what she would do when Santana would accept the offer to go with Puck on a date. By the time Brittany and Puck arrived at the lockers Santana was standing there putting her things inside. She was humming a song and didn't notice when Brittany and Puck approached her. Well more Puck because Brittany's still didn't know how to behave around Santana after the kiss, so she just opened her locker and started getting ready for glee practice. She was extra slowly in order to hear Santana's and Puck's conversation. Puck leaned against the locker on the other side of Santana and cleared his throat. Santana stopped the humming and turned her head towards him with an eyebrow raised. Since the party she didn't like Puck at all. She didn't like people who looked at her as if she was a prize to win.

"Puck." Simple as that. Santana didn't know what to say to him. She was sure what was going to happen next but she didn't want it to happen. She just wanted to go to glee practice sing the damn song and talk to Brittany. She was sure that Puck would be a great friend but not more than that. She was gay.

"Hi, Santana. So I was wondering if you would like to go on a date with me?" He asked with a smile which he thought was sexy. Santana rolled her eyes and when she wanted to answer, a loud slamming of a locker door could be heard. Santana turned around and saw Brittany looking at her angry and somehow disappointed. Santana ignored Brittany because she wanted the girl to see how she was going to decline but it was too late Brittany had stormed off leaving Santana no choice to answer to Puck. Santana watched as Brittany disappeared around the corner and her heart sunk at the thought of Brittany being upset because of her. She looked again back at Puck who seemed optimistically to get the answer he wanted to hear.

"No." Puck looked at her confused. Sam had warned him about Santana and her rejections but he didn't want to believe it. And now when he really heard the answer he didn't want to hear he got a bit angry.

"Why?"

"Puck, I am sure you are a nice guy." She was not. "But I am too busy for any kind of relationship." And even if she wouldn't go with him. "I'm sorry." She was not. "See you at glee practice." And with that she walked off sighing. She just hoped that Brittany wasn't too upset to show up at glee practice. Santana walked to the auditorium where she wanted to meet Sam and when she arrived he was already there waiting for her. That was what she needed. Santana walked to her 'brother' and wrapped her arms around his waist nuzzling her face in the crook of Sam's neck. He wrapped securely his arms around Santana's petite frame. He started stroking Santana's hair and as he expected Santana started relaxing into his embrace.

"What's going on?" He asked finally breaking the silence in this big auditorium.

"Brittany and I kissed." Santana whispered barely audible to Sam but he heard it anyway.

"But that's good. Why are you so upset?"

"Because I kinda walked away. But I liked the kiss so much it was beautiful and now Brittany's upset with me." Santana continued muttering.

"And now?"

"You'll see in a few minutes. I prepared something with Blaine's help for Brittany. The glee club is coming in a few minutes so you can take a seat. I will climb on stage." Santana pulled away. "I'll see you later." Sam nodded, kissed Santana's cheek and watched how she walked towards the stage. Minutes later the whole glee club appeared and sat on the front rows. Quinn next to Sam and Brittany next to Quinn. Brittany didn't dare to look up to the stage where Santana was standing and adjusting a microphone at a mic stand. She looked down at Brittany but she was looking everywhere else but her. She sighed and looked at Mr. Shuester giving him the cue that she was ready.

"Guys we have the incredible luck to have a superstar here at our school and Santana was so kind to show us a performance in order to learn something. So I want you to watch and listen carefully."

"Mr. Shuester." Rachel raised her hand.

"Yes Rachel."

"Well in order to learn something it would be better that we sing and Santana corrects us. So I would like to suggest myself to sing a song by the incredible actress and singer Barbra Streisand from whom I have my second name. Also I would like to add that I know every single song she has sung and I own all films where Barbra was acting on DVD-"

"Does she always talk so much?" Santana interrupted Rachel's rambling about unnecessary things about herself. Rachel wanted fame and Santana knew that. She was being used by Rachel so that she could become famous but she was not giving Rachel the privilege to do that. Especially not when she was so obnoxious and annoying.

"Most of the time." Mercedes added laughing.

"Right. Can I start singing now please?"

"Of course. The stage is yours." Mr. Shuester smiled and motioned for Santana to start. Santana took a deep breath and the jazz band and Brad started playing the opening keys of the song Santana had chosen to sing for Brittany hoping that the girl would understand her. Santana was shaking and she was gripping the microphone as if her life was depending on it her knuckles turning white. She just hoped that Brittany wouldn't reject her because Santana was really sorry about the way she acted. She glanced at the audience. Rachel was looking dumbfound from the rejection a few minutes ago. Sam and Blaine were smiling encouragingly at her and Brittany… Brittany was still looking at her shoes.

"There's a place that I know. It's not pretty there and few have ever gone. If I show it to you now will it make you run away? Or will you stay? Even if it hurts. Even if I try to push you out will you return? And remind me who I really am. Please remind me who I really am." Santana started singing almost missing her cue too distracted by looking at Brittany and trying so hard to bring the girl to look at her. "Everybody's got a dark side. Do you love me? Can you love mine? Nobody's a picture perfect. But we're worth it. You know that we're worth it. Will you love me? Even with my dark side?" Brittany still didn't look up at Santana but she understood what she wanted to tell her and she wanted to smile.

She wanted to smile because Santana was finally confessing her worries to her. She would love Santana. She would love Santana at her darkest and she would love Santana even if she was living under a bridge only with one pair of sweatpants and shirt. It didn't matter to Brittany what Santana was as long as she was Santana she was willing to go till the end of the world. But that didn't let the feeling of rejection leave her. She felt hurt and she was ready to forgive Santana but she wanted the girl to really know that she was hurt. Santana though was emotional. She didn't want to let it go that far but she started crying. Silent tears because she had never done this before. Laying her emotions for everyone to hear.

But she realized where she was and what she was supposed to do. She was here to show the glee kids how to perform. They weren't supposed to see her weak and crying. She gripped with one hand the microphone and with the other hand she gripped the mike stand. She started performing like a star should after she had wiped the tears away.

"Like a diamond from black dust. It's hard to know it can become. A few give up so don't give up on me. Please remind me who I really am. Everybody's got a dark side. Do you love me? Can you love mine? Nobody's a picture perfect but we're worth it. You know that we're worth it. Will you love me? Even with my dark side? Don't run away. Don't run away. Just tell me that you will stay. Promise me you will stay. Don't run away. Don't run away. Just promise me you will stay. Promise me you will stay." And with that the song ended. Everyone stood up and cheered. Blaine winked at her causing Santana to smile. She mouthed a 'thank you' to him and then bowed politely. Santana looked back at Brittany. She was standing, too and she was finally looking at her. Brittany gave her a nod telling that she understood and then she mouthed 'I will stay' and Santana smiled like never before and so did Brittany. Mr. Shuester thanked Santana and she and Sam where free to go since they weren't glee club members. And so they left. Santana wanted to talk to Brittany but she had Cheerios practice so she wouldn't talk to Brittany till after the Cheerios practice. So she waited patiently till the practice was over and then drove to Brittany's house to finally discuss everything. Sam and Holly had wished her good luck but the only thing Santana really needed was courage and that was what Blaine had texted her. She had given him her number because he was great and she was sure that he wouldn't annoy her. After reading Blaine's message one last time Santana finally found the courage to knock on Brittany's front door. She was glad that Brittany was the one opening the door because Santana couldn't deal with the rest of Brittany's family.

"Holly made brownies and I brought some. And I bought these stars. You can put them on your ceiling. They are luminous and I know how much you like stars." Santana finished her nervous speech and Brittany just smiled at the other girl's cuteness and just having the craving to kiss her but she was able to resist. She thanked Santana and after inviting her inside they walked to Brittany's room. Santana looked at the walls noticing the pictures Brittany had taken the day when she was at the rehearsal.

She smiled briefly and sat on the bed her expression turning serious. Brittany took a seat next to her and then they just sat there in silence. Santana had prepared a whole speech but she was so nervous that she had forgotten everything she wanted to say. Courage flashed again through her mind and she decided to finally start the conversation. "Brittany." Brittany turned her face to Santana. Santana took Brittany's hand and started stroking it with her thumb. "I… um wanted… to apologize fo-" Santana groaned when she got interrupted by her ringing phone. She looked at the caller ID seeing that it was Shelby and you better not let Shelby wait. "I am sorry I have to get that." Santana apologized. "Hey, Shelby."

"Santana you have to come home now!"

"Wait I can't what is so important?" Santana asked confused. Shelby was sounding serious.

"Santana we have an emergency you're coming over now. Be careful that no one's following you." And with that Shelby hung up. Santana looked confused at her phone before slipping it back into her pocket. She looked at Brittany.

"What's going on?" Brittany asked worried.

"We have an emergency I have to go. I promise I'll talk to you, okay? Just not now Shelby sounded serious." Santana stood up. She kissed Brittany's cheek and started running downstairs.

"Santana wait." Brittany shouted but Santana was already climbing into her car.

* * *

"What the hell happened? Please tell me Holly and Sam are okay." Santana stormed into the house shouting worried. She walked into the living room only to find it empty. Storming into the kitchen she found everyone sitting safely at the kitchen island discussing. Joe was there too and that meant only one thing that something serious was going on.

"Sit down, Santana." Shelby demanded and Santana took a seat next to Sam irritated.

"What happened?" Santana asked for the second time getting annoyed that no one was telling here what was going on. "I'm going insane here. You're calling me saying we have an emergency and I still don't know what the fuck is going on!" Santana shouted angrily.

"Santana calm down. Stop shouting. Paparazzi found out were you're living that means they're going to follow you everywhere. They will come to your school. Talk to people you have contact with and etcetera." Shelby said.

"And what exactly does that mean?"

"That does mean that you will take Joe everywhere with you and you have to be careful what you say and what you do. And that's where Brittany is taking a particular role. Media has laid an eye on her since the tweet. They will talk to her, too." Holly added.

"So that means…"

"If you want to keep Brittany and your sexuality a secret there will be no more Brittany." Holly finished Santana's sentence. Santana's expression hardened. She clenched her jaw anger and sadness building up in her. She balled her hands into fists and knocked the glasses over which were on the kitchen counter. The sound of breaking glass echoed through the silent kitchen. Santana felt a stinging pain on her wrist. Looking down at it she saw a cut and blood was streaming down. Sam grabbed a tissue handing it to Santana and wrapped his arms around Santana. She protested but her protests soon turned into loud sobs. It broke Holly's heart seeing Santana so upset. She told Joe that he was free to go and the time he had to be there tomorrow. She offered Shelby to stay the night and turned her attention back to Santana who was still sobbing on Sam's shoulder wetting his shirt with blood and tears and holding on his shirt for dear life. Holly put a hand on Santana's shoulder squeezing it and telling there that she would be there for her no matter what and that everything was going to be okay but Santana didn't want to hear that. She knew that it wouldn't be okay. It would be everything but okay. She couldn't talk to Brittany any more. She couldn't tell her that she was in love with her and she couldn't finally be Brittany's girlfriend. All she wanted was to kiss Brittany and have a normal relationship with her without having everyone commenting and following every step she made.

She pushed Sam off of her and stormed into her room throwing herself onto the bed not caring that she was dirtying her sheets with blood from her still bleeding cut. She didn't want to believe what Shelby had told her. Why couldn't paparazzi just let her alone? Those fucking idiots were always spreading rumors about her making her life a living hell and now they were holding her back from Brittany. She didn't want to believe that there was no more Brittany. It sounded wrong. No more Brittany... It broke Santana's heart. No more Brittany… She wrapped her trembling body into her sheets and drifted off into a restless sleep. No more Brittany… It was over. No more Brittany…

* * *

**A/N Hey guys I'm sorry for taking so long for the new update. I feel like Ryan Murphy for letting you wait so long for the kiss :) So anyway. ****Todo va a estar bien means everything's is going to be alright. And the song is called Dark Side by Kelly Clarkson. The experiment is called elephant toothpaste you should watch some videos it's really awesome. I hope you enjoyed :) Share your thoughts either here or on tumblr: kissinglips95. tumblr. com **

**xoxo**


	10. Chapter 10: My Girl

**Chapter 10: My Girl**

* * *

Light was shining through the big window illuminating Santana's dark room. She stirred in her sleep and sat up on her bed looking through her room while her eyes adjusted to the darkness. Her body and limbs were aching and her eyes were dry from crying so much. She was still wearing the clothes from the day before. A look at the digital watch on the nightstand next to her bed told her that it was three o'clock in the morning.

She stood up wrapping her bed sheet around her torso and walked out to her balcony. Her bare feet made light tapping noises through her silent bedroom and when she tiptoed outside she was met with cold November air; her feet freezing because of the cold ground. She didn't care, though. She felt as if she deserved to suffer even if it was just coldness making her body tremble. It was still an uncomfortable feeling so it was working. Santana rubbed her eyes feeling the soreness from the lack of moisture.

She was sure that she looked like a mess with puffy red eyes and her hair sticking up in all directions but honestly, she didn't care. Sighing, she sat on the lounger she had on the balcony soaking up the cool night air. She was sure that she couldn't go back to sleep. She was too fazed to just go back to sleep. She just kept looking at the lights of Lima finding it pretty but wasn't able to enjoy them. She just wanted to curl up on her bed and awake from this. Whenever she was ready to admit something or do something that could affect her life in a positive way, it was throwing rocks on her path to happiness.

Brittany would want to talk to her tomorrow. Santana was sure of it. But she wouldn't be able to do so. Either Joe would be there with her and Sam or paparazzi or one of the fans. Santana would never be alone and to be honest she was glad. She couldn't explain to Brittany that they couldn't be together if she wanted to be protected.

She still remembered the party when she and Brittany were sitting in the kitchen still in the get to know phase. Brittany told her that she didn't want the fame. She wanted a normal life so why would she agree to being with Santana now that the paparazzi found out where she was living and going to school? And the best way to protect Brittany and hide her from the eye of publicity, Santana had to avoid her for Brittany's sake. Brittany had told her that she would stay but that was before Santana found out that she would be followed everywhere in Lima. But honestly it was just a matter of time till people found out where Santana was living and since Lima was a small place it was even easier to be found.

She looked up at the night sky trying to find the constellation Brittany had shown her but instead she found dark, thick clouds shielding the stars from her view. Tears started running down her cheeks again but she didn't want to cry anymore over something she couldn't control. That was what she hated about feelings. She had no control over them and that made her angry.

Sighing, she stood up no longer wanting to cry over her feelings, she went inside. She threw the bed sheet back onto her bed, changed into some comfortable clothes and went downstairs into the kitchen. She wasn't hungry but she needed to eat because she was frustrated. When she entered the kitchen a small light was on and Sam was standing at the stove cooking. Santana always liked his cooking. It was a surprise to her when she found out that he could cook, but being left alone by his own parents had taught Sam a lot.

"Hey." Santana said her voice hoarse from crying. Sam turned around startled but his expression softened when he saw Santana standing there, introverted and with puffy eyes. He watched her up and down seeing how everything on Santana was screaming sadness. It hurt him to see Santana so devastated. It was difficult for Sam to deal with Santana when she was sad but he always managed somehow to comfort her. If he only knew that alone his appearance made Santana relax.

"So that's where my boxer shorts disappeared to." He chuckled softly. Santana who was now sitting on a stool at the kitchen island looked up from where her gaze had dropped on the counter and looked confused.

"Huh?"

"My superman shorts. I was looking for them. Didn't know you had them." Santana forced a small smile and nodded.

"Sorry, they're comfy and I like them." She just replied, shrugging.

"It's fine. They look better on you anyway." Sam chuckled again. "I'm making a fried egg. I was hungry, do you want one?" Sam knew that Santana hadn't eaten since after school so she had to be hungry plus he also knew that whenever Santana was feeling bad, she ate. Santana nodded silently and Sam turned back to the stove finishing the first egg and placing it on a plate on front of Santana. He handed her a fork and after making a second egg he joined Santana at the island. She was poking her egg and pushing it around her plate and sometimes taking a few lazy bites.

"You know." Sam started breaking the silence. Santana looked up at him and waited till he swallowed his food before continuing. "Holly never said you should stay away from her. She just mentioned that if you want to keep her from the eye of publicity you should be careful with being seen with her." Santana looked down at her plate her appetite suddenly disappearing. "Hey, look at me, dear." Sam spoke softly. He cupped Santana's chin and tugged at it making her look up. "You love her. It's simple as that. Do you really want to risk everything you did for her just because some idiots decided to become stalkers and bug you? You're stronger than that. Why are you so afraid?"

"I'm not." Santana said weakly earning a confused look from Sam. He wanted an explanation. "I mean I was at the beginning because everything was new. And now I just want to be with her. I don't have a problem with going with the relationship in public. It's just that this whole being gay thing is new and I want to be able to make new experiences without being watched by everyone. But Brittany doesn't want to be famous so I just don't see a point in trying."

"So you're just going to give up because of some assumptions you make? Hell, Santana you're making me crazy. I love you but right now you're annoying the crap out of me. Just go and get her. You don't know if she will reject you. And I see how you two act around each other. I see how you two look at each other and I see the effect you two have on each other. You're just so afraid of failing that you rather give up than try. You're gonna lose her for good if you don't stop with the crap." Sam said. He was sick of the whole drama Santana was causing. He just wanted to scream 'It's easy!' because it was indeed easy. The two love each other and there's no one against their relationship so what was holding Santana back? Santana looked at Sam dumbfound. Finally someone had told her the truth but Santana was still too stubborn to admit that he was right. "Just take a risk. Just for once." Sam pleaded. Santana sighed shaking her head.

"I'll think about it." She said after thinking about it. Sam was right and she knew it she just needed some time.

"Are you done with your egg?" Sam asked and Santana nodded. He took Santana's plate which had still almost the whole egg on it and put them into the sink. There was still time to clean them up tomorrow. Sam walked over to Santana taking her hand. After switching on the TV and letting a random late night show run in the background silently Sam pulled Santana with him on the couch. They lied together and Santana snuggled into Sam inhaling the familiar scent and finally letting herself relax. Sam put his arm around Santana and pulled her closer. It didn't take long for Santana to fall asleep. She was safely wrapped in Sam's arms and for just a while she forgot everything and let Sam's light humming lull her into sleep. And right after Santana's breath evened Sam felt himself drift into unconsciousness.

* * *

Holly walked down the stairs dressed in an expensive skirt and shirt wondering why the house was so silent. Usually Sam was turning on some music when they all woke up so that they had a better start but today nothing could be heard. She walked silently into the kitchen finding it empty. She started making some coffee and walked into the living room searching for Sam and Santana. She found the two sleeping on the sofa. Santana had her face buried in the crook of Sam's neck and Sam had his arms looped around her. Holly smiled, finding it too peaceful to wake the teens up but they had to go to school. The TV was still on and before waking them up Holly turned it off. Santana stirred in her sleep mumbling something in Sam's crook. She sounded frightened and sad and it broke Holly's heart seeing that Santana couldn't even find peace while she was sleeping. Sam, though pulled her closer to her his arms securing around Santana's petite frame. Holly smiled and for a second she really thought again about letting the two of them at home but they really had to go to school.

"Hey, guys wake up." Holly shook Sam and Santana lightly. "You have to go to school and if you don't hurry you'll be late." Sam opened his eyes looking around seeing Holly watching him and Santana. He looked back at Santana with a small smile on his face the conversation of last night coming back into his mind.

"Does she really have to go to school today?"

"As much as I would like to protect her from everything outside she has to go to school. Besides she can't hide forever and Joe will be here in a few minutes to pick you up. Wake her up. I'm gonna make breakfast." Sam nodded and started stroking Santana's hair.

"Santana." He whispered. "Hey, Santana. You have to wake up."

"I don't wanna." Santana mumbled and snuggled further into Sam.

"You have to, though. We're gonna be late." At that Santana's eyes shot open and she stood up quickly. Before Sam could say anything else Santana had already disappeared into her room and into the shower.

Joe was already waiting for Santana when she came downstairs. Her one hand wrapped in a band aid because of the cut. When she entered her room this morning and saw it in daylight, she saw her sheets ruined. Make-up stains from crying too much were on her pillow and blood stains from her cut all over her sheets. She must've had a fitful sleep judging by the mess in her bed. And when the warm water was running down her body relaxing her but not stopping her mind from thinking Sam's words were running through her mind. He was right.

Holly had never said to stay away from Brittany. She had mentioned that due to some circumstances it would be better if Santana stayed away from her. But again Santana was too stubborn to act on her feelings. Not when everyone was watching her. And with everyone she meant the paparazzi who were currently all waiting for her in front of her house.

Santana slipped her boots on and buttoned up her trench coat. Sam was by her side holding her protectively and whispering comforting words into her ear. He would never leave her side as long as Santana needed him. Holly had already called the school to take measures in order to keep the paparazzi away from the building. So when they arrived at school there were some police curbs waiting outside. They got out of the car and immediately many flashlights came from all the directions. The paparazzi were taking pictures of them. Joe was successful in bringing Sam and Santana inside safely. He told them that he would be around and if they needed anything they should just call him.

"You'll be okay?" Sam asked Santana in front of her class.

"Yeah." She replied unsure. Sam sighed and pressed a kiss on her cheek.

"Call me if you need anything." And he walked to his next class. Santana entered the room and took a seat in the back row. There was only one student sitting next to her but as long as she didn't have to sit next to Brittany and he didn't try anything it would be okay. The lesson started but Santana couldn't pay attention. She was looking down at her desk all the time. She didn't even notice the knock on the door. Only when she heard Brittany's voice apologizing to the teacher for being late Santana cringed inside and looked up to meet cloudy blue eyes. She was supposed to pick up Brittany but she wasn't there.

A pang of guilt washed through her body and Santana looked again back at her desk. Brittany made a sad expression and took a seat at her desk with the seat next to it empty. She looked over at Santana who seemed to hold back tears that were threatening to spill. Santana could practically feel Brittany's gaze on her. She had her fist clenched in order to hold back the tears. This was harder than she thought because Brittany had nothing to do with everything that had happened and still Santana had managed to upset her again. Upsetting Brittany was the worst feeling ever. Santana felt awful for it. It was like she had slapped a puppy across the face. Brittany just wanted to understand why Santana changed so suddenly. Santana even took another seat. Shaking her head and sighing Brittany turned to face the teacher. But like Santana, she couldn't pay attention and the lesson became hell until the sweet sound of release echoed through the school and Santana was the first one to stand up and walk out of the room not giving Brittany any chance to talk to her.

* * *

"Okay, one more time." Luke, Santana's producer was sitting with Holly and Shelby watching and listening to Santana who was recording her new songs. Sam was sitting on the sofa behind them watching. They had already been there for about three hours and they still had nothing. Santana was supposed to release a new single in December but today they didn't need any of the records they made and Luke and Shelby were getting impatient.

Santana was not paying attention. She was distracted and unprofessional. She couldn't concentrate on her songs nor could she concentrate on anything she did. There was only one thought swirling in her mind and that was Brittany. Her blonde hair and how it was waving when she had it up in a ponytail because of Cheerios practice, or her blue eyes and how they changed color depending on her mood. The last time she had seen them they were cloudy and somehow grey. And the last time she saw Brittany was a few days ago. She had managed to avoid her the whole week and now it was Friday.

"Santana?" Shelby's voice shook her out of her thoughts. Santana looked through the glass to Shelby questioningly. That was when she realized that music was playing though her headphones. "You missed your cue, Santana." Shelby said impatient. "What's going on with you Santana? You've been recording for a few days now and none of the records we made are useful. We're paying the studio and the new single is going to be released in a month. You really have to pull yourself together, Santana."

"Sorry." Santana nodded apologetically. Sam stood up and walked over to Holly and Shelby telling them something Santana couldn't hear. She saw Shelby sighing and then nodding. Sam smiled at Santana and opened the door.

"You're free to go." He smiled. Santana took the headphones off.

"Am I?" Santana looked over at Shelby.

"Yeah as long as you come back on Monday and concentrate on your work you're free to leave."

"I will."

"Okay then let's go. We'll see you later Holly." Sam said and took Santana's hand pulling her outside to the parking lot. A few paparazzi were standing outside took a few pictures of them disappointed that they didn't have a story and that their pictures wouldn't cost as much as they wanted them to cost. Sam opened the door for Santana let her get inside safely and then he got inside too. He started the engine and pulled off the lot.

"Oh I forgot. The date with Quinn was supposed to happen today, right?" Santana asked after a few moments of silence.

"Yes. I am driving you home. I will change my outfit and then I'm going to pick Quinn up. You okay with me dating?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know. You don't feel so good this week and I just wanted to make sure that you don't need me. I will cancel if you need me to." Santana turned around facing Sam. It was a long time ago since Sam had a girlfriend and from what Santana knew this girl didn't treat him well. She just wanted Sam to be happy again. Santana smiled genuinely at him.

"Sam, I really appreciate your worry and I am really thankful for that, but I am a big girl I can take care of myself for a few hours. You just go get ready and I will order food and everything, okay? Have fun with Quinn."

"That's why I love you so much." Sam smiled and pulled into the garage.

"I love you, too, Sammy."

* * *

"Look at me, Brittany." Quinn was sitting looking at Brittany for fifteen minutes now. They were supposed to do homework together but Brittany hadn't spoken a word since Quinn came over. Usually Brittany was always distracting Quinn by saying something random about her family or anything else but now she was reading the same page ever since they started doing their homework. She was behaving strange the whole week and Quinn didn't want to wait any longer till Brittany was ready to tell her what was going on. Obviously it was eating her on the inside. Brittany looked up at her best friend. "What's going on? You're behaving strange this week. Why are you so sad?" Quinn asked softly. Brittany sighed sitting up from the bed and closing her book.

"I'm sorry I'm just confused."

"You're always confused."

"I know but this is different." Brittany sighed again and ran a hand through her hair before continuing. "It's because of Santana."

"Santana?"

"We kissed and she-"

"Hold up a second. Can we go back to what you said?"

"That I'm confused?"

"No, to the other part about Santana."

"Oh um… yeah we kissed."

"You kissed? And why are you telling me now about it and not earlier?"

"I don't know I just needed time to think about everything. She doesn't talk to me. She's avoiding me like the plague and I didn't want to push her by cornering her." Brittany stated sadly. After she had seen that Santana didn't pick her up the day after the kiss and that she had changed the seat Brittany didn't talk to her. Santana had promised her to talk to her again but now she was breaking her own promise and Brittany had no idea why. The reason for her confusion was that she didn't know the reason of why Santana was avoiding her.

They already knew that they wanted each other and that Santana had her own issues to deal with but Brittany thought that after the song everything would be all right but no, again she was mistaken. Like always she was dumb for thinking that everything was going to be okay. She was dumb for thinking that she was not dumb. That she had the slightest idea of how people actually worked. Of how Santana worked and what she was feeling. For one she thought that she finally, finally had the chance to do something with herself. Something that was meaningful in her life besides her family. But that was what Brittany thought she was. Dumb.

"God, I knew that something was wrong with her. Every celebrity is somehow messed up." Quinn said angrily.

"Quinn, stop talking about her like that. She is… she is amazing okay? She is so much more than everyone else thinks she is. She is just great and I want her."

"You know I've never seen you so infatuated with someone. Well then she has to be something special. What do you want do now?"

"I'm sick of wondering what's going on with her, I will ask her on Monday. I want answers and I am determined to get them. If she doesn't want me I will move on but if there is the slightest chance of being with her I am going to fight for her no matter what."

"I just hope that she won't do anything stupid because I will cut her if she hurts you again." Brittany chuckled and nodded not really wanting Quinn to try anything against Santana.

"So what is with Sam? Will you still go out with him?"

"Yeah and speaking of Sam I have to go now. He is supposed to pick me up in two hours and I have to get ready." Quinn stood up and started packing her things back into her bag. "Will you be okay?"

"I guess so."

"Call me if you need anything okay?"

"I will. Have fun, Quinnie."

* * *

Sam parked the car in front of Quinn's house. He got out smoothing his button down shirt and walked towards the front door. After knocking a few times on the door a small blonde woman opened the door looking at him interested.

"Hello, you have to be Sam." She smiled after looking Sam up and down seeming content with the choice of boys her daughter had.

"Hello, Mrs. Fabray. I am Sam. Sam Evans." Sam extended his hand which Mrs. Fabray shook. She was surprised by Sam's politeness. Quinn was once Finn Hudson's boyfriend and Mrs. Fabray didn't like him very much. He was a huge guy with not the best manners. And now a young, handsome boy was standing in front of her who was very respectful.

"Come in. Quinn will be downstairs in a few minutes."

"Thank you." Sam smiled and entered the house. He stood there in the hall not wanting to trespass his boundaries so he better just stood there politely.

"So what are your plans for tonight?" Mrs. Fabray asked.

"Well I wanted to take your daughter out for dinner but due to some not so great circumstances we will have a dinner at my place. My sister and her god mother will be there, too." It was obvious that Judy didn't know who Sam or Santana was but that didn't matter. As long as Judy had a good impression of Sam, Sam was more than willing to introduce her to his family. And Holly would sure be happy to meet new people.

"Well then I hope you will have fun."

"Thank you."

"Oh hey, Sam." Quinn came downstairs. She was wearing a yellow dress and tights.

"Hello, Quinn. You look lovely tonight." Quinn blushed and took the last steps till she was standing in front of Sam.

"Thank you."

"Do you want to get going?" Quinn nodded and said goodbye to her mom. Sam held the door open for Quinn and after saying to her mother that he would bring Quinn safely home at the right time he followed Quinn outside. Again he held the door open for her.

"So where are we going?" Quinn asked after Sam sat on the driver seat.

"The classic date. Movie and dinner. Only that we're not gonna do it in public because then we wouldn't have alone time. So I am taking you to my place."

"Okay." Quinn smiled and Sam started the engine.

* * *

Santana was ghosting through the house. She was feeling empty and didn't know what to do with herself. She was still thinking what to do with Brittany. She wanted to talk so badly to her but she was unsure. She sighed and shook her head getting rid of this feeling but it just didn't want to go away. When she had nothing to do it always came back.

She had set the table for Quinn and Sam with candles and the food. If she couldn't be happy with the person she wanted, then at least Sam had to have the chance. She had prepared the movie in their home theater the popcorn and everything else and she was left with nothing else to do. Holly was still missing. Sighing she walked into the living room and sat onto the couch turning on the TV until she heard keys turning and the door opened. Sam and Quinn entered the house. They were laughing and as the gentleman Sam was, he took Quinn coat and hung it up. Santana left silently the room going upstairs in her room before anyone of them could see her. Sam led Quinn into the dining room. He offered her a seat and they began eating. After dinner Sam showed Quinn the home theater and they watched a movie.

During the movie, Quinn excused herself to go to the bathroom. Quinn walked through the hall searching for Santana. She needed to talk to her. She needed to tell Santana her opinion. Her opinion about hurting Brittany because Quinn had never seen Brittany so quiet and sad. Brittany gave her best to smile and pretend that everything was all right but Quinn knew this smile. It was one of those smiles that never reached the eyes. The spark in Brittany's eyes was missing and Quinn got sick of the fact that Brittany had to suffer on the inside.

Eventually she found Santana in the kitchen sitting on the island eating yoghurt and staring out of the window. The yoghurt seemed untouched though. The spoon was in the container and sometimes Santana stirred but she never ate.

"Hey." Quinn broke the silence Santana was lost in. Santana startled and turned around finding Quinn leaning against the doorframe.

"Hey." Santana mumbled and returned her attention to the window. Quinn though wasn't finished. She walked over to the counter and jumped on it sitting next to Santana.

"Thanks for the dinner by the way." Santana nodded in reply. "What is the deal with you?" Quinn asked angrily. "You think you can just walk around and break the heart of other people? Just because you're a celebrity you can't do whatever you want, Santana." Santana looked at Quinn confused before it clicked. Brittany must've told Quinn about everything.

"Hold up a second. Just because you know one side of the story doesn't mean that you can judge. You have no idea what's really going on here."

"Then tell me what the fuck is going on because all I see is Brittany hurt and upset and I don't fucking accept that." Quinn hissed getting angrier with every second.

"And I don't accept that you fucking come into my house and tell me what to do, okay?" Santana jumped angrily of the counter. She looked at Quinn. "I love her, okay? I really fucking love her. I am not talking with her because I want to protect her. Paparazzi have found where I am living they are following me everywhere I go and if I want to protect Brittany I have to stop seeing her. But it was never because I don't like her." Quinn softened at what Santana said. She didn't know this side of the story. Quinn knew now that Santana never hurt her intentionally.

"I only know now that Brittany doesn't care about all of this. She just wants you. Just talk to her and don't make assumptions. Please promise me that you will talk to her because not only she is suffering, you are suffering, too. Look I have to go back to Sam before he starts wondering where I am. Just don't hurt her again, Santana." With that Quinn hopped off the counter and went back to Sam. She snuggled into his side and continued watching the movie. "Sorry, couldn't find the bathroom."

"It's fine." Sam smiled and returned his attention back to the screen pulling Quinn closer.

* * *

She wasn't supposed to be up. She wasn't supposed to do what she wanted to do but her heart was telling her to, and she was sick of listening to her brain. She couldn't sleep and she knew that it was a little bit stupid to drive to Brittany's home this late. But she was entirely sure of it when she was sitting in her car in front of Brittany's house and all the lights were out. She had to talk to Brittany.

She had to tell her that she was sorry and that she wanted to give it a shot. But her problem was that she had to get inside without waking everyone up. She looked up at Brittany's window trying to find a way to get up there until she saw the gutter. She smirked hoping that it would be possible to get up on the roof. She got out of the car and after locking it she walked over to the gutter. She jolted at it to see it was stable enough. Deciding that it would hold her, she started climbing along the gutter till she reached successfully the roof. Santana walked over to Brittany's window carefully not to slip because it was wet. Arriving at the window she tried to open it. Apparently it she couldn't open it. So this left only one way to get inside. She started knocking on Brittany's window. After not receiving an answer Santana decided to just drive back home but when she went to climb down the gutter she heard the window being opened.

"Santana?" Brittany's hoarse voice sounded like music in Santana's ears after not hearing her so long. Santana turned around with a small smile.

"Um hey Britt. Sorry for waking you up."

"Do you want to come inside? It's cold out here." Brittany offered earning a nod from Santana. She walked over to the window and jumped into Brittany's warm room. A small lamp on Brittany's nightstand was illuminating the room.

"I'm sorry." Santana spoke up after long silence and intent staring at one another. Santana had noticed how much she really had missed Brittany. "I'm sorry for avoiding you. I confess I was scared at first. Scared that I found out I was gay. But then the fear changed. I was afraid that you would leave me like everyone else did. Like my parents did. Because I can't bear the thought of hurting because you're not there anymore. Because you are special and it is crazy how my body reacts when I am with you. No one else has ever made me feel this way. If anyone had told me a few years ago that I would end up being famous and gay I would never believe them. Then when I finally wanted to talk to you and Shelby called because we had an emergency it was because paparazzi found out where I was living. Holly told me if I wanted to keep you a secret then it would be better to stay away from you. I remembered the night when we were at the party and you told me that you didn't want to be famous so that convinced me to not talk to you. Sam and Quinn tried to talk some sense into me. I don't know what happened but suddenly I was here in front of your house climbing up to your roof to convince you to don't forget me please. I'm sorry and if you want I would like to give this a shot." Santana finished her rambling.

She didn't know where she found the strength to finally tell Brittany everything but she felt like a weight was lifted off of her. She was afraid that Brittany would reject her now because she took so long to finally confess everything and she felt vulnerable and weak. It would be now so easy to hurt her and squish her like a bug.

It was so easy now to mark her soul with another scar. A scar that would never leave. Maybe it would fade eventually but it would always stay as a memory that would hunt her in her nightmares making her life even more difficult that it already was. No one had ever gotten Santana to be so honest with them and that was one of the reasons Brittany was so special to her.

Brittany on the other hand though was relieved that there was no other reason behind Santana's intention of avoiding her. Santana had told her everything she wanted to hear. She had now the confirmation that she was not dumb and that Santana had indeed thought that she was special. So she couldn't hold back the urge to hug Santana who was standing in front of her so vulnerable. So she threw her arms around Santana's neck pulling her incredibly close.

"Don't ever do this again okay? I was so afraid that I lost you. And it's okay to be scared. Talk to me the next time. And it is also okay to need help, just ask for it."

"To be honest Blaine helped me a lot. I told him and he gave me the idea for the song."

"Then you should tell him that everything is okay now and that I want definitely to give it a shot."

"Really?" Brittany pulled away and like in the bathroom she cupped Santana's cheeks and pulled her into a soft kiss.

"Really." Brittany whispered against Santana lips. "You know we should text Blaine." Brittany said after she pulled away.

"Text him?" Santana asked.

"Gimme your phone." Brittany requested. Santana handed over her iPhone watching silently how Brittany lifted it in front of their faces. "And now smile." Santana smiled and before the flashlight went on she felt soft lips pressing on her cheeks making her feel all dizzy. "And now we're gonna send this to Blaine." Brittany pasted the picture into a message and underneath it she wrote 'got my girl' before sending it to Blaine.

"So I got my girl huh?" Santana asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes and that's why you're gonna stay the night at your girlfriend's place."

"Am I?"

"Yes and your girl will cuddle the shit outta you."

"I think I like my girl." Santana laughed.

"Good because your girl likes you, too." And with that Brittany pulled Santana onto the bed with her, switched the light off and spooned Santana under the covers. "Santana?"

"Huh?"

"I like the sound of my girl."

"I like it, too, Britt- Britt." Santana felt Brittany press a kiss on her neck and then she started feeling how her eyelids got heavier the tiredness of the previous restless nights kicking in. She knew that this would be the best night of her life because she was content and happy and she finally had what she had been craving so long. But she knew that no picture could show how happy she really was.

* * *

**A/N So here's the next chapter. Thank you for all your reviews. Let me know what you think. Either by reviewing or on my tumblr: kissinglips95. tumblr. com**


	11. Chapter 11: Family

**Chapter 11: Family**

* * *

The steady sound of Brittany's heartbeat was the most beautiful thing Santana had ever heard. She was awake for like… No, she didn't know how long she had been awake but she knew that since she woke up she had been watching Brittany sleep. She was watching how Brittany's lips were lightly curved up into a small smile. How her chest was rising in a steady rhythm. Up and down. Up and down. Up and down. Brittany looked so peaceful and Santana couldn't believe how lucky she had gotten. Even watching Brittany was making her heart wanting to jump out of her chest.

Santana lifted her hand carefully not wanting to wake Brittany up and ever so lightly she brushed a strand of Brittany's hair behind the sleeping girl's ear. Her hand lingered though on Brittany's face and Santana started tracing her fingers over Brittany's features as if she was made of glass. As if she could just break under her touch. She traced them from Brittany's cheeks down to her chin and then back up to her forehead. Brittany's cheeks and nose were covered with small freckles. Over her eyebrow was a single freckle and Santana grazed it. She continued touching Brittany's pale skin with feather light touches till she reached the girl's pink lips. Using her thumb Santana stroked Brittany's bottom lip while scooting even closer to her.

They had slept the whole night cuddled up together and Santana was feeling warm on the inside and outside while lying in her cocoon. She hadn't slept so well in a long, long while and the fact that she barely slept the last days, which had left her completely exhausted, and it helped her fall asleep easily. But mostly it was the fact that she was listening to Brittany's steady heartbeat. It was like a lullaby. A melody that didn't want to leave her head. Not at any circumstance. A melody that could so easily make her excited. Santana's lips twitched and a small smile spread on her lips caused by this incredibly beautiful girl next to her. She had never seen Brittany without make-up but Santana preferred it this way. Brittany's eyes fluttered open and she saw how Santana was mustering her. Santana's thumb was still grazing Brittany's bottom lip and she smiled.

"Hey." She whispered while taking Santana's hand in hers.

"Hey." Santana repeated as silently as Brittany did before. And for a while they just lied there silently looking at each other and smiling. Santana scooted closer and started stroking Brittany's features again. She felt Brittany relax under her touch and closed her eyes. When Santana reached Brittany's lips again with her thumb she started getting closer. Brittany opened her eyes when she felt Santana's warm breath on her lips and she closed the gap between them by pressing her lips on Santana's. The kiss started slow and Brittany cupped Santana's cheeks never wanting to let go. It didn't take long for both of them to break away gasping for air. Santana buried her face into the crook of Brittany's neck and placed a soft kiss on it. Brittany wrapped her arms around her in response and kissed the top of her head.

"You drive me crazy do you know that?" Brittany asked.

"You do, too." Santana mumbled.

"Why did it take you so long?" Santana moved back from her positions nuzzled in Brittany's neck and looked her in the eyes.

"Isn't it enough that I am here now? Isn't it enough that I now opened myself up to you? Isn't it enough that I am completely yours now and you're completely mine?" Brittany smiled at that, her previous question completely forgotten. She leaned forward and pressed a passionate kiss onto Santana's lips.

"That's more than I could ever ask for." Brittany breathed against Santana's lips. "So what are we going to do now?" Brittany asked after they pulled apart.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean us. Are we going to be openly together or not?"

"No, at least not yet. Look it's not that I am ashamed of you or anything but I want our relationship to be something between us. If people know about us we won't have time on our own. But we can tell our families and friends. Just not too many people because it will come out somehow. I know that paparazzi are doing really good research and they ask people I had contact with, about anything." Brittany leaned again forward pecking Santana's lips. "What time is it anyway?" Brittany turned around looking at Santana's phone for the time.

"It is seven am on a Saturday morning." Santana groaned. "Do you want to go back to sleep?" Brittany brushed some bangs of Santana's hair behind her ear. Santana wanted to reply but got interrupted by a deep grumbling of her stomach. Brittany giggled. "You hungry?"

"Obviously." Santana laughed. "As much as I would like to stay the whole day with you cuddled up in your bed which was my original plan until my stomach decided to ruin it. I am hungry and Saturday is pancakes day. Do you want to come over? We can invite Quinn, too. Since you know Quinn is practically Sam's girlfriend."

"That sounds great."

"Good. I am going into the bathroom and you can get dressed. See you in a few minutes." Santana got off the bed and walked out of the room leaving Brittany smiling on the bed. Once she was in the bathroom Santana looked into the mirror. She was glowing. A big smile was gracing her lips and lighting up her eyes. In the room down the corridor there was a breathtaking, beautiful girl waiting for her. Her girlfriend. Santana liked the sound of that. Brittany was finally her girlfriend and she couldn't even describe how happy she was. It was like the worries of the past days were washed away. A weight had been lifted off her chest and Santana could finally breathe again. She couldn't even go for a few minutes into the bathroom without missing her girlfriend already. She was in this phase where she didn't want to leave Brittany's side. Not even for a few minutes. So she quickly washed her face and combed her hair up into a ponytail. When she was satisfied with the way she looked although it was morning and she was looking awful Santana opened the door and was met with the sight of a sleepy Stacey with her hair sticking out in every direction. Santana wasn't even sure if she was awake because Stacey was leaning against the wall with her eyes closed. Chuckling silently Santana walked over to the younger girl and nudged her.

"Stacey?" Stacey muttered something but didn't move. Santana nudged her again. "Stacey, wake up." Stacey opened her eyes slowly tensing up when she saw Santana standing in front of her. She stood up straight and adjusted her hair. Santana chuckled again when Stacey's face turned red from embarrassment. "Calm down, Stacey. I was looking minutes ago like you do now. You know I am still a normal person."

"Sorry." Stacey mumbled still sleepy. "What are you doing here? Did you sleep here? I would've noticed you." Santana blushed lightly at that. She managed to interrupt it with a cough. Should she tell Stacey that she climbed onto the roof, sneaked into her sister's room and now she was Brittany's girlfriend? Eventually she would find it out anyway. But Santana decided to not tell Stacey. It was up to Brittany to tell her family. Santana would be there and support Brittany if she wanted her to be there but other than that it was not her business to cross her boundaries. Drifting back to reality Santana realized that Stacey was still waiting for an answer.

"Um… when I came over you were sleeping." That wasn't even a lie. Everyone was sleeping when she came over. Santana nodded satisfied with her answer and smiled at Stacey sweetly.

"It's nice to have you here, Santana." Santana smiled at that.

"Thank you. It's nice to be here. I should better go back to Britt she's waiting. Go back to sleep it's still early."

"Will do. Bye Santana."

"See ya." Santana waved and disappeared down the hall and into Brittany's bedroom where Brittany was pinning pictures on the wall fully dressed into pair of red baggy sweatpants and a grey sweatshirt. Santana closed the door behind her and leaned against it watching Brittany standing on her toes trying to pin a picture on the small, uncovered part of her wall over the mirror which was hanging above her dresser. Her shirt had slid up a little revealing some of Brittany's smooth, pale skin and Santana didn't want to do more than touch it. She chuckled when she saw Brittany sticking her tongue out in concentration. Brittany turned around when she heard Santana's voice. It made her heart flutter. "Need some help?" Santana asked.

"Yeah. C'mere I'm gonna lift you and you can pin it up there." Brittany pointed towards the uncovered spot. Santana nodded and walked over to Brittany. She took the picture and looked at it. It was the first picture of her and Brittany together. The night after the party where Brittany had pleaded Santana to not forget her. Santana smiled at the memory. A month later and now she was in a relationship with Brittany. Santana felt Brittany wrap her arms around her waist and moments later she was lifted in the air. Santana saw all the other pictures of herself and her and Brittany hanging there from the day of the rehearsal while pinning the picture on the wall. Santana turned in Brittany's arms while she was being let down again and wrapped her arms around Brittany's neck.

"Thanks." Brittany said smiling.

"Anything for you." Santana smiled, too and Brittany leaned forward and pressed her lips onto Santana's. She could never get used to the feelings Santana caused within her. She was just glad that Santana was finally hers and only hers. Puck had better stay away from Santana. A grumble of Santana's stomach caused both girls to giggle again. Santana buried her face into Brittany's neck laughing. Brittany pulled her closer.

"We should go now if you want to eat some pancakes. And we should be quiet we don't want to wake up my family."

"Speaking of family I saw Stacey outside. She was leaning against the wall asleep." Brittany laughed.

"Yeah that sounds like Stacey. What did you tell her?"

"I didn't tell her about us. I thought maybe you wanted to be the one telling her that I am your girlfriend now."

"She is going to freak out. I like that."

"What that she is going to freak out?"

"No, I like hearing that I am your girlfriend now." Santana pulled her head up from her previous position and looked at her girlfriend smiling. Brittany's smile matched her own and again she leaned forward leaving a small peck on Santana's lips.

"I like that, too so now I suggest moving your cute little butt over to my car so that I can drive my girlfriend to my place in order to eat some pancakes because I am starving." Santana took Brittany's hand in hers and started pulling her towards the entrance of the house.

"That sounds like a plan, girlfriend."

* * *

Santana opened the door silently in case Sam and Holly were sleeping and indeed the house was silent as ever. Only the girls' giggling could be heard when they entered the house hand in hand. It was still early for a weekend and the paparazzi in front of Santana's house were still not there. Not that it was bothering her. Santana put her keys into the bowl next to the door and pulled Brittany along with her into the living room while holding her finger up to her lips indicating Brittany that they should be quiet. Before dropping onto the couch Santana took hers and Brittany's coat off throwing them carelessly onto a chair.

"Shh, Britt Holly and Sam are still sleeping." Santana said giggling and pulled Brittany with her onto the couch. "We have to wait till Sam wakes up to get our pancakes unless you want us to make them but I assure you if I have my hands in the kitchen it will look like a mess afterwards and our food will probably burn."

"Sounds kinda familiar." Brittany giggled. "I didn't know Sam cooked."

"Oh he does and he makes one hell of a meal. Even Holly is still learning from him."

"Wow, I'm impressed."

"Yeah, Sam's a great guy."

"How did you and Sam meet?"

"When Shelby found me and the contracts were signed I was giving small concerts in hotels. In one of the hotels was Sam. He had a small job there and he was at my concert. Afterwards he approached me and told me that he liked my music and everything and we started talking. But, to be honest, I was really defensive at first. But he was patient and when I finally warmed up to him we became really good friends. After finding out that he could play the guitar I offered him to play for me and he toured with us. His parents are divorced and they didn't really care for him and he started staying with us. That's how he learned to cook, actually, he had to take care for himself."

"That's a sad story. And what is with his parents now? Don't they miss him?"

"When I became famous, Sam did, too. You know as my best friend and guitar player and all the rumors about him being my boyfriend. His dad called him telling him that he was sorry and all and that Sam should come back. Turns out he just wanted money because he had some financial problems. Sam helped him out but he was utterly disappointed in his dad and Sam never spoke to him again. Or to me for that matter. For a whole week after the disaster Sam spoke to no one. He was just in his room coming out when it was absolutely necessary. I felt so helpless. I had no idea what to do to cheer him up and as it turns out we wrote the next song for my album after finally bringing him to talk to me." Santana smiled sadly at the memory.

Sam was so devastated Santana and Holly had no idea what to do to help him. Sam had a strong personality but he was never afraid to show his feelings. That was one of his traits that made him unique and different from other boys in his age. After seeing Sam so upset Santana swore to herself that she would do everything in her power to never see him like that again. And the first thing she did when Sam's dad showed up again to apologize was kick him in his crotch and punching his stomach.

To say that he never showed up again was obvious and even Sam laughed at what Santana did. He was the one who slammed the door shut right in the face of his father. Of course Sam was still feeling sad about his family but after realizing that it was better without him he let happiness overcome him and he never thought about his father again. His mother though was different. She was still in touch with her son. She cared about him and let him tour with Santana and Holly. She had accepted now that Holly and Santana were his new family but because of his dad Sam was still a bit hesitant towards his mom. But all in all Sam's and Santana's connection was so strong because of sharing a difficult past and through some circumstances their bond grew stronger. Both were at the point where no one could imagine a life without one another and they appreciated everything that happened. Sad and good memories because in the end they always had each other and that mad their friendship unique.

"You know I never want this to happen again. I don't know how to deal with Sam when he is upset because his reaction is always different. Sometimes he just curls up in his bed and sleeps for a few hours and sometimes he punches our punching bag. But these reactions are only there because he starts thinking. And depending on what he thinks sad or something that makes him angry you know always because of his reactions what he is thinking."

"Wow you two really do know each other."

"Yeah we do. That's why we have such a strong bond. I would trust Sam with my life in a heartbeat. Same applies to Holly." Santana looked at Brittany and took her hand in hers. "You know and that is what makes you special. You just came and understood me. We haven't known each other for long but it feels as if I've known you for an eternity. You just came and immediately I felt this connection to you although our first meeting wasn't ideal." Santana laughed at the memory of Brittany telling her that she didn't like her. Brittany buried her face into her free hand embarrassed.

"Oh my god. Can't we just forget about it? It was so embarrassing and now look where I am. Sitting on the couch with a girl I judged before knowing her."

"I won't forget about it because no matter what you said you made me feel normal plus it was the day where I met you. And look we even managed to get into the newspaper."

"Oh yeah my parents put the article into a frame and now it is hanging over our fireplace." Brittany laughed at her parents for being so proud for something that was her fault in the first place. That reminded her of the fact that she still had no car. She had to tell her parents later.

"Holly has every article I was mentioned in a map listed with every date. And you complain about only one article hanging in your living room." Santana giggled.

"She's just proud of you and so are my parents proud of me. We can't change the fact that they love us no matter how bad the things we do are."

"I know." Santana said with a sigh. Brittany squeezed her hand standing up and pulled Santana with her up after looking around the room. "What are you doing?"

"I just saw that you have an awesome hi- fi system and instead of sitting on the couch." Brittany said pulling Santana closer. "I want to dance with you." Santana nodded and Brittany placed Santana's hands around her neck.

With the remote control she switched the stereo on to a station where they played slow songs. Brittany knew this station because sometimes at night she watched her parents dancing in the living room. Every time she couldn't sleep she took a seat on the stairwell and watched her parents dancing. It always reminded her of a Disney fairytale. Her parents were still so in love together as if it was their first day. They sometimes knew that Brittany was watching because one time when Brittany was little she had fallen asleep on the stairs and her dad carried her up to her room and after placing her comfortably onto her bed he whispered 'I love you, baby girl' after placing a kiss onto his daughter's forehead and Brittany slept better than anyone else in the house. And now Brittany had the chance to dance with Santana and she wouldn't let it pass now that they had some alone time. Brittany wrapped her arms around Santana's waist and started swaying back and forth. Taking Santana's hand she let the girl twirl once and then pulled her back to their previous position Santana buried her face in the crook of Brittany's neck like she did in the morning. She could feel her heartbeat from where her ear was resting and it was the most calming sound she had ever witnessed and she felt herself relax further into Brittany's arms. And Brittany held Santana tighter never wanting to let her go.

The girls didn't know how long they were dancing. Maybe it was two minutes maybe it was two hours but the time seemed to stand still. The world seemed to disappear and the girls were alone. Just the music could be heard and sometimes the sound of lips smacking when Santana placed a kiss on Brittany's neck or Brittany a kiss on the top of Santana's head. Santana realized that she had been stupid for ignoring Brittany. She could've had this earlier if she hadn't freaked out so much but that didn't matter anymore because now they were together and both girls couldn't be happier.

Holly and Sam were standing for about ten minutes at the entrance of the living room watching the girls interact with each other. Both their eyes were closed so they didn't notice Sam's and Holly's appearance. Holly was holding her hand to her chest and wiping some tears away with her other hand. They were happy tears and she looked to Sam as if she wanted to ask 'when did that happen' earning a shrug from Sam. He was also smiling and he was finally happy that his 'sister' was content with her life and finally got over her fears. Holly nudged Sam motioning to the kitchen with her head and they let the girls alone to enjoy their dance till their breakfast was ready.

"I am so proud of her." Holly whispered to Sam who just nodded in reply and started taking the ingredients out of their places to start making the pancakes.

* * *

When breakfast was ready Santana and Brittany were still dancing. It was weird that they didn't notice anything judging by the sweet pancake scent that was invading the house. Maybe they had noticed but were too caught up with each other that maybe they didn't want to pull apart. The previous hunger was forgotten and they just danced and danced and danced. Holly found them incredibly sweet but as much as she didn't want to she had to interrupt the moment between the girls in order to get something into their stomachs.

"The pancakes are ready." Holly stated from the entrance of the living room. Santana eyes shot open and she pulled slightly away from Brittany to look at her godmother. She was looking smiling at them and Santana blushed. Brittany squeezed her girlfriend's hand assuring her that everything was fine. Santana smiled and nodded. "And when exactly did that happen?" Holly pointed at the two girls. Santana went to answer but was interrupted by the doorbell. "We'll talk." Holly said and went to open the door. To her surprise it was Quinn. She greeted the girl with a hug. "Hello, Quinn. How are you?"

"I am fine. Thank you, Holly. How are you?"

"Great. It's a surprise to see you here."

"Oh, um Santana invited me."

"Yeah that was me." Santana suddenly stood behind Holly. "You know since B is here and we are going to have all together breakfast I decided to invite Quinn over. You know since she is practically Sam's girlfriend." Santana winked at Quinn who blushed. But then her eyes widened.

"Wait Brittany is here? What did I miss?"

"We missed the same, dear." Holly answered looking at Santana. Rolling her eyes Santana groaned.

"Can we please go and eat breakfast. I am starving and I will tell you everything you missed."

"All right." Holly said and beckoned the girls to follow her into the kitchen. Sam and Brittany were already sitting at the kitchen island talking and laughing. When Sam saw Quinn he stood up politely and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Hey. What are you doing here?" He asked surprised.

"Santana invited me. Hey, Britt."

"Hey, Quinnie." Santana walked over to Brittany and scooted her stool as close as possible to her. Everyone but Brittany watched Santana how she took a plate and placed a pancake on it. Brittany was also behaving normal and Sam, Holly and Quinn were dying to know what happened between them. Santana took her first bite and she was well aware of the fact that she and Brittany were being watched but she liked to tease and flashed the rest of the group a smile and continued eating.

"Okay, okay I'm dying here. Please tell me what the hell happened." Sam finally said. Santana and Brittany started laughing.

"I was wondering which of you guys would finally ask." Santana said.

"Yeah end the crap now, San and tell me what happened."

"Okay, okay. Well I dunno how it happened but suddenly I was standing in front of Brittany's house in the middle of the night. I guess I was sick of all the waiting and all the hiding."

"And she climbed onto my roof and woke me up. She told me everything and we decided to give this a shot." Brittany finished the story. She took Santana's hand that was resting on the counter and intertwined their fingers. "And now here we are." She said smiling and brought their hands up to her lips placing a lingering kiss Santana's knuckles earning a beaming smile from her girlfriend.

"Finally." Holly and Sam said in unison.

"Okay, I got it now that it took me so long. Can we please eat now?"

"Don't be grumpy, Sanny." Brittany sang. Santana held her hands up laughing.

"Okay, okay." She laughed and took another bite of her food ignoring the laughter from the rest of the group.

* * *

"You know what I was thinking this morning?" Santana asked while snuggling further into Brittany. The girls were sitting on Santana's bed in silence cuddling. Brittany was leaning against the headboard of Santana's bed and Santana was sitting between Brittany's legs.

"Huh?" Brittany hummed in between peppering kisses along Santana's shoulders and neck causing chills to run down Santana's back. Honestly Brittany's kisses were really distracting and she was on the verge of forgetting what she really wanted to say. "What were you thinking, babe?"

"I- I was thinking to take you out on a date." Brittany stopped kissing Santana and moved to look at her. She took a seat in front of Santana.

"Really?"

"Yeah, why are you so surprised? You're my girlfriend isn't that what people in a relationship do?" Santana asked confused. "I mean I don't have much experience but I thought it was right?"

"Santana calm down. You're doing everything right. I was just surprised because I thought you wanted to keep things private and if we go out people are going to recognize you."

"What do other people have to do with me wanting to take you out on a date?"

"I thought they were following you. If we go out they are going to follow us."

"Don't worry about them I will think of something. I think I already have an idea."

"You're not going to tell me your idea, are you?"

"Nope you'll have to wait till I figure everything out." Santana smiled mischievously.

"Fine." Brittany pouted earning a giggle from Santana. She leaned forward kissing it away and when she wanted to pull apart Brittany moved forward capturing Santana's lips again wanting to kiss her even more. Brittany's hands moved down to Santana's hips and pulled the girl onto her lap. Santana could never get used to Brittany's kisses and she certainly didn't want to. She never wanted to get used to the feeling she was having when she was kissing Brittany. She always wanted to feel it when Brittany kissed her.

"Are you going to stay the night? I want to cuddle the shit outta you." Santana breathed against Brittany's lips after coming up for air.

"That sounds really appealing but I can't. Today's family night and as long as there is no emergency family night is obligatory." Brittany said while running her hands up Santana's back. "Do you want to join?"

"I don't know. I mean I don't want to disturb anything."

"San, you won't. Please come." Brittany whined and there was that pout again which Santana couldn't resist. She leaned again forward and pecked Brittany's lips.

"Fine but only if you stop pouting." Brittany giggled and nodded.

"You know I really like your room. Especially the view." Brittany commented after a few moments of sitting in silence and looking around.

She liked the view because she could look over Lima and she had a clear view of the sky and that was Brittany's favorite. Her gaze fell onto Santana's desk where there was a picture. It showed a small red haired petite woman and a tall handsome man. The man had his arm slung around the woman making her look even smaller. She noticed that Santana looked like him. His upright posture and the dark eyes Brittany liked to get lost in. He had the same hair color and the same features Santana had. And Santana had the same smile. Brittany lifted Santana from her lap and let her sit back gently onto the bed. She stood up and walked over, picked the frame up and looked back at Santana.

She was looking everywhere but Brittany. She didn't want to talk about her parents. Since Brittany had come along, she had to think about her parent more often than usual. It was because they would never have the chance to see to what an amazing woman Santana developed. They would never get to see the chance to listen to one of Santana's songs or see her on stage. Her dad would never get the chance to threaten the boys who would ask Santana out although she was gay. Both of Santana's parents would never get the chance to meet Brittany and see how happy she is making Santana and that was what made Santana sad. The fact that her parents missed out one of the most amazing parts of Santana's life. But Santana didn't want to talk about it right now. She had managed to keep the thoughts of her parents in the back of her head for the past seven years and she wouldn't allow these thoughts to invade her mind now. Brittany sat silently next to Santana while continuing looking at her but Santana found her sheets much more interesting. She started playing with her silver ring, again her nervous habit coming back.

"I didn't see the picture when I first came here. Maybe because I was too occupied with cuddling with you." Brittany giggled. Her face fell when she saw Santana still fidgeting. "Hey." Brittany said softly taking Santana's hand in hers. "Look at me, honey." Santana looked up at Brittany. "Your parents?" Brittany continued asking earning a timid nod from Santana. "You look exactly like your dad." Santana gulped and took the picture from Brittany. After giving it a last look she stood up and put the frame back onto her desk. No, she wasn't going to let the thoughts invade her mind. Not when her life was going so well.

"Britt, I don't want to talk about it." Brittany sighed. She knew that it was affecting Santana although she tried to keep strong and kept trying to convince everyone that she didn't miss her parents. Brittany just hoped that Santana would eventually open up and tell her what was giving her a hard time.

"You're going to feel better, Santana."

"Britt, please don't pressure me, okay? I don't wanna talk about it."

"It's fine. Just remember that whenever there is something you want to talk about I'll be here, okay?" Santana smiled at Brittany and slung her arms around her neck.

"Thank you. And you know I'm here for you, too." Brittany launched forward and planted a sweet kiss on Santana's lips. "You ready to go to your place?"

"Yeah let's go. We have some games to win."

* * *

She knew she shouldn't be nervous but she couldn't help it when she got out of the car and walked up the stairs to Brittany's patio. Brittany was holding her hand as if her life was depending on it. She somehow was sensing Santana's nervousness and with a squeeze of her hand she assured Santana that she had no reason to be nervous. Santana knew Brittany's family except from her dad but he was as friendly as everyone was till now. She knew that Santana was just nervous because now she was Brittany's girlfriend and she was afraid that Brittany's parents might not approve their daughter's choice.

"San, calm down. You already know my family why are you so nervous?"

"Because, Britt that's the first time I see them as your girlfriend what if they won't approve?"

"You're standing in front of thousands of people singing and you're barely nervous and now you're gonna see my family and you're afraid of the fact that they might not approve? My sister already adores you. Mom likes you too, and my dad… well you're gonna meet him in a few minutes. Trust me there's no reason to be worried. If you feel uncomfortable tell me and we will interrupt everything, okay?" Although Santana was aware of the fact that Brittany meant the sentence about the discomfort she would never do such a thing. She knew how much the family meant to Brittany and Santana would never upset Brittany because upsetting Brittany was like kicking a puppy. And Santana would rather not kick a puppy. She took a deep breath and nodded confidently.

"Okay. I'm Santana Lopez. I can do this." Brittany smiled and kissed Santana's forehead after looking around making sure that no one was watching them.

"Besides I'm not gonna stop seeing you just because someone doesn't approve. No matter if it's family or not. But that's not gonna happen because you're one of those people you can bring home to your parents."

"Okay, now I'm relieved." Santana smiled and squeezed Brittany's hand.

"Are you ready to go inside?"

"Yeah, let's go." Brittany nodded a last time and started turning the doorknob without averting her gaze from Santana as if she was waiting for a sign from her to stop. But it never came and she was relieved when they entered the house hand in hand and her family's laughter echoed through the house. Santana could already feel Brittany's beaming smile without even looking at her and she felt herself matching Brittany's smile. Brittany started guiding Santana into the living room from where the laughter was coming from. Jeanette and Stacey were gathered around the coffee table about to open the box of Monopoly.

"Mind if someone joins our family night?" Brittany caught her family's attention and they turned their heads looking at the two girls standing at the doorway.

"Of course not. Come over here Santana. It's good to see you again." Jeanette replied smiling and greeted both girls with a hug.

"Hello, Mrs. Pierce."

"Where's dad?" Brittany took a seat next to her sister.

"Over here." A male voice caused Santana to turn around. A tall, very handsome man was standing now in front of Santana holding a glass of red wine in his hand. He was wearing a white button down shirt and black trousers. He had light brown hair and he looked very young. If Santana met him on the street she would never think that he was married and had two kids. He was freshly shaved, which made him look even younger and his aftershave was filling the room with his manly scent. A friendly smile graced his lips and Santana knew immediately that she was going to like Brittany's dad. She had never seen such a polite looking person- besides Holly- in her life.

"Hello, you have to be Santana. I'm Elijah." He extended his hand which Santana shook politely. "Both of my daughters are talking about you nonstop. I assume for different reasons?" He smiled even wider making Santana blush. She turned around looking at Brittany feeling a little helpless. Brittany just shrugged and giggled in return. Santana turned back to Elijah clearing her throat and smiled.

"Yes, I am Santana Lopez, sir." A loud ringing laugh came from Elijah causing the hair on Santana's neck standing straight and making Brittany smile. Seemed like her dad and Santana got along pretty well.

"Oh, no please no sir. Every time I hear sir I think my dad is standing behind me. I don't look that old, do I?"

"No actually not." Santana replied honestly.

"Good." He chuckled. "Then please call me Elijah and this over there." He gestured towards Brittany's mom. "Is my wife Jeanette. No, Mr. and Mrs. Pierce please."

"Alright."

"Then it's settled. I heard you're going to join our game night?"

"If I'm not disturbing."

"Of course not. Take a seat, dear. We decided to play Monopoly tonight." Elijah put his hand on Santana's shoulder and guided her gently towards the coffee table where she took a seat on the carpeted floor next to Brittany and he took a seat next to his wife. But not before greeting his older daughter with a kiss on the forehead. Santana could see that Brittany was totally daddy's girl judging by the interaction between the two and the stories Brittany had told her.

"Santana is in my team." Brittany shouted smiling.

"Alright then. Stacey and Elijah are on the other team and I will be the bank." Jeanette replied and started giving everyone the money they needed. Santana felt an arm sneak around her waist. Turning her head to the right she saw Brittany grinning at her and lowering her head on Santana's shoulder.

"See, it's not that bad." She whispered into Santana's ear.

"No, not that bad."

* * *

Santana couldn't recall the last time she felt so carefree and content with her life. Brittany's family was very welcoming and they could not react better when they found out that Brittany and Santana were in a relationship. Stacey was the happiest one because that meant that she would see Santana more often- although her happiness didn't compare to Brittany's and Santana's. She was still a little shy and an incredible fan girl but Santana didn't mind. Stacey would get used to Santana's presence and if you looked past all the shyness Stacey was a very mature girl and still a child at heart like Brittany. But the two sisters couldn't be more different. Santana had even taken a picture of herself and Brittany holding the Monopoly money in front of them and tweeted 'Game Night' for her fans. Most of them recognized her from the tweet at the party and she got some nice responses like 'have fun' etcetera.

This night was going to stay in Santana's memory forever. Not because she was spending time with Brittany although it was a huge part of the reason but because she would never forget all the feelings she had this night. And all those great feelings were affecting her behavior.

She was in the mood for something sweet so before she drove home she stopped at Lima Bean which was surprisingly still open and bought a whole cake for her and her family. Santana had learned during the time she was at Brittany's place that family was very important and Santana wasn't living in the past anymore. That didn't take the pain away from the mess Santana's parents had created though and she certainly wasn't ready to talk about her parents yet. Her family now was Holly and Sam… and Brittany came in addition. At least Santana hoped that Brittany would stick around for being a part of their own little family. She had learned to cherish those little moments you had with your family and as long as she would have Sam and Holly Santana was sure that she would have a great life.

Brittany had offered her to stay the night but Santana couldn't. That meant a long session of sweet lady kisses pressed up as Brittany liked to call them pressed up against the Pierces' door because she didn't want to let go off Santana. She had to go to the studio tomorrow and continue working on her album and she had another reason too. Since she left Brittany's house and was sitting in the silence of her car she had a melody in her head which she was humming all the way from Brittany's home to Lima Bean and from Lima Bean back to her home. She just wanted to sit at a piano and write down the notes. Holly and Sam were still awake sitting in the kitchen like they always did when Santana entered the house with a huge smile while holding the cake. She greeted them both with a kiss on the cheek and grabbed three forks before opening the box with the cake.

"Someone had a good time." Holly commented before taking some cake into her mouth.

"Someone had a really good time." Santana corrected. "Brittany's family is really nice. You have to see her dad he looks so young for his age. How is that even possible? I dunno. However he looks younger than he really is. And we played Monopoly. Brittany and I won. I mean duh, who's surprised?" Santana smiled and filled her mouth with a huge piece of cake. Sam laughed out loud and shot a picture of Santana looking like a hamster.

"I'm gonna tweet this." He continued laughing. Santana shrugged. She didn't care, she was in a too good mood to be bothered by it. There were much more horrible pictures of her in the internet. At least she had some make- up on and the light was crappy so she wasn't bothered by it. "My hamster sister." Sam read out loud.

"Ass." Santana slapped him playfully laughing. "Now if you excuse me. I feel very inspired right now and I have this melody swirling around my head. I'm gonna sit at the piano and write everything down." And with that she stood up and walked upstairs to the room where the piano stood proud. Thick white curtains were hanging from the tall walls hiding the view from outside. Santana liked the empty room. She liked that the only object in the room was the expensive, black piano. Santana loved this instrument. She loved the smell of the noble wood. She loved how she could see herself on the black lack. And she loved every sound that echoed through the empty room causing chills to run down Santana's spine every time her fingers glided over the keys. It was looking so much better if it was the only object in a room. All the beauty and the charm of this instrument was shown to advantage. She took a seat at the stool admiring the piano in front of her. It was a long time ago when she last sat at her own piano and she realized how much she had really missed it. She pressed the first key and the sound echoed through the room making Santana smile. And then almost automatically her fingers started flying over the keys pressing exact the ones she needed for the melody she had in mind. She wrote down every note on music paper. Sometimes adding a new one when it fitted, sometimes deleting another note and sometimes adding a pause. It didn't take her long till she had the main part of the melody in her head when she started thinking about lyrics. What for Santana felt like a few minutes were really five hours she was sitting in the room drowned in her own little music world. That's what she loved about her job and the music. She loved that she could make money just by singing and playing an instrument.

She loved that she could forget the world so easily and dive in, in the world of music. And the whole time while she was singing some random words, scribbling those down and playing a few notes Sam was sitting outside on the floor enjoying every tone that was coming from the piano. Santana was really talented and he couldn't resist the urge to take a picture of her while she was sitting straight on the stool with her eyes closed and her fingers flying over the keys. 'Five hours of sitting in front of the door listening and the chills continue running down my spine. I have a feeling you're gonna like this.' He wrote under the picture before tweeting it. This was his favorite picture of Santana because he saw what other people who didn't know her didn't see. Emotions and her soul laid down for everyone to see. His thoughts got interrupted when Santana screamed 'Ocean Eyes' and he knew that this song was going to end up being about Brittany. He smiled though and he stood up leaving Santana alone with the thought of her muse and her inspiration. And he was pretty sure that when he would wake up in a few hours she would be sitting there asleep. He would carry her though into her room. She deserved sleep after being so productive.

* * *

Sam was right. When he woke up the next morning Santana was sleeping still in the piano room. Her head was resting on the keys. A mess of sheets was everywhere around her. Some sheets were crumpled- up in balls and thrown back others had whole sentences written on them, sometimes they were underlined and sometimes they were crossed out. Sam noticed hearts with the letter B written in them on some sheets and again he was right about the song being about Brittany. He walked over to sleeping Santana and secured her in his arms before carrying her into her room. He met Holly in the hall. She smiled at him and patted his shoulder and helped him put Santana into her bed by opening the door of her room and putting the sheets aside to lay her down.

"Her day is going to be so long." Holly said after closing the door behind her and Sam.

"I know. She barely slept but she will manage it. She is Santana."

"Yeah you're right. By the way I saw your tweet. The picture is beautiful and yeah I agree. This song is going to be awesome."

"Be ready to get a platinum record."

"I hope so. She deserves it. Coffee?"

"Yes, please." Sam laughed and Holly and he walked downstairs to get some caffeine into their system because this was going to be a long, long day.

* * *

**A/N Hey guys :) I'm so sorry for letting you wait. School started again and was keeping me busy and this was one hell of a chapter. Thank you for your reviews and I hope you enjoyed the chapter :) Tell me what you think. Either here or on my tumblr: kissinglips95. tumblr. com**


	12. Chapter 12: Supergirl

**Chapter 12: Supergirl**

* * *

It wasn't as hard for Santana to wake up on Monday morning than it was the last week.

She was happy to be able to just see Brittany again. Friday they started dating, Saturday she joined Brittany's family night and Sunday she spent almost the whole day recording the songs for her new album. Sam had taken a picture of her while recording a song and Santana had twittered it and now her fans were going insane. There was a riot and the picture was all over twitter and other websites. Brittany had texted her during her break telling her that she looked cute while recording and Santana just melted then and there, grinning like an idiot in front of her phone.

Shelby was more than happy with the results of the recordings. Santana was very good and she was behaving very professional that it didn't take them too long to finish a song and they could proceed to the next one. Santana hadn't yet told Shelby about her new song. She was thinking about releasing it instead of the other song which was planned. She wasn't finished with the new one yet, but she was determined and Brittany had continued to inspire her that she was working on the song even if she was just doing simple things as brushing her teeth, lying in bed or drinking a glass of water. The melody was constantly in her mind and the lyrics just kept coming out of her because her feelings for Brittany were simple and that made everything easier.

She was sure that this was going to be a hit. Not only because it was sounding so great but because she had poured her soul and her heart in it. It meant so much to her and she had managed to write the song without revealing that Brittany was a girl. Santana was proud of herself and she hoped that Brittany would be, too after hearing the song. Brittany didn't know about it and Santana wanted to keep it this way until the song was going to be released. She wanted it to be a surprise and she was going to make this moment as special as possible for Brittany. But not even her happiness or her excitement could make her tiredness and exhaustion go away.

Bags from the lack of sleep had formed under her eyes making her look awful. Santana was startled when she saw herself in the mirror but there was nothing that couldn't be fixed with a little make- up. Santana tried to hurry, as she was eager to see Brittany again. She hadn't seen her since Saturday night and she wanted to see her, kiss her, inhale her scent and just talk to her. Today was the first day of school and Santana didn't know if she would be able to keep her hands off Brittany. It was going to be a real challenge to not grab Brittany's hand, or put an arm around her waist or just kiss her cheek. And Santana was pretty sure that Brittany was going to have hard time, too with keeping her hands to herself.

They had held hands many times in public but this was different. A lingering touch or a loving look could start rumors so easily and Santana just wanted to enjoy her relationship with Brittany without having to explain everything every time she would be seen with her somewhere. The last thing Santana wanted was Brittany to think that she was ashamed of her. And that was the reason why Santana had told Brittany already that keeping their relationship a secret had nothing to do with being ashamed. It was about privacy and privacy was very important to Santana.

If she cared about something she liked to keep it in private. It was just how Santana saw things and she didn't owe anyone an explanation in the first place. That's why she never said who she was dating if anyone asked her. Not that she had anything serious in the past. She went out on a few dates with different guys but it always stayed at the first date. After that Santana never called back because she wasn't interested and now she knew why. It was not that there was something wrong with her like she always believed. It was because of the guys she went with who made dating so difficult for her.

Strange that the thought of being gay never invaded Santana's mind. But maybe it was because she was pretty good at denying things and pretending that they weren't really there. Like she pretended that her attraction to Eva Longoria wasn't there when Holly and her were watching Desperate Housewives marathons or that when she was watching music videos with really pretty dancers she didn't feel kind of hot when they were moving their asses in front of the camera. Suddenly her behavior was reasonable and Santana understood herself better.

It was nice to be able to do so and it was another step towards self-acceptance. Santana was proud of herself. Not only because she had reached in a few years everything that anyone could ever dream of, but because she had finally found someone who made her happy and showed her another side of herself. Brittany was challenging her in a way which no one else had never managed to do. Santana was falling. She was falling hard for Brittany and she couldn't do anything to stop it. And honestly, she didn't want to. Feeling her heart beat faster at the thought of Brittany, Santana smiled and put some lip gloss onto her lips. Just a few minutes patience and then she was going to see her. Santana used some perfume and walked downstairs. Holly was already gone. She had left a note apologizing for not being there when they woke up but she had left a pile of pancakes and some fruits on the counter telling Santana and Sam to enjoy.

"Good morning." Sam walked up kissing her cheek as usual and grabbed two plates. Santana smiled and greeted him as cheerful as he did. "You're not eating?" He asked when he saw her slipping into her boots.

"Nope, I'm gonna pick up Britt." Santana replied with a huge grin causing Sam to chuckle.

"You're too cute."

"Oh hush."

"Just telling the truth." Sam chuckled again and took a bite from his food. "Now go, she's waiting." Santana laughed out loud before disappearing outside to her car without even bothering to put her coat on.

* * *

Driving to Brittany's Santana noticed that there weren't many cars on the streets. For Lima it was normal but in comparison to Los Angles it was nothing. Santana missed Los Angeles. She missed the sun and the beach. She missed the overcrowded streets and the queues in front of coffee shops and other stores. And she missed the weird people walking around. Lima was okay. Santana had nothing against her new home but it was different. She couldn't complain though because it was her wish to go to a public school and going to a public school in Lima was better than in Los Angeles. Less students Santana had to deal with and that meant less fans that would annoy her. Santana wasn't going to complain because Lima had one thing Los Angeles didn't have and that was Brittany. And that was one of the things that were keeping her there. Blaine became a really good friend too, and Santana didn't have the heart to leave neither him nor Brittany here. Brittany was her priority though. And Santana wasn't thinking about returning. She had just a longing. Halting the car in front of Brittany's house Santana didn't even have the time to open the door for her girlfriend like she usually did because Brittany was already waiting for her excited and literally jumped into the car.

"Goo-" Santana wanted to greet Brittany but she was faster with pressing her lips against Santana's. Santana didn't complain she cupped Brittany's cheeks and kissed her back as hard as Brittany did. Brittany wrapped her arms around Santana's waist pulling her even closer and slipped her tongue into Santana's mouth. It was the first time they kissed with tongue and as nervous as Santana might was, the moment their tongues collided Santana's nervousness just washed away. She loved the kiss so much and it was better because she was feeling Brittany even better. She felt hot all over and her skin was burning. When air became an issue both girls broke apart gasping. Santana sat back gripping the steering wheel and laughed. "Hello to you, too."

"Sorry, I just missed you. That's all." Brittany smiled at her girlfriend.

"That's an awesome way to be greeted." Santana turned again towards Brittany and leaned forward to leave a loving peck on Brittany's lips. "But let's go to school now because I think if I'll kiss you again we won't arrive today."

"They should have a subject called 'kissing Santana' because I think I would graduate in a heartbeat." Brittany pouted as Santana started driving towards school.

"Are you sure about that? Because first; I can't kiss myself that means I won't graduate and second; that means that other people have to kiss me too and I don't want to kiss anyone but you."

"Well if you put it that way it's better that there isn't a subject. I want you all to myself."

"Good. I was worried for a moment." Santana laughed again.

"You know I wanted to ask you something."

"Of course, Britt. Spill."

"Do you want to watch our Cheerio practice today? I mean I want you to be there. But only if you want to be there."

"Of course I will be there if you want me to. I won't miss a chance to see you dance in this skirt."

"Great. We are in the gym today since the weather is so crappy. I'll meet you after class and we can walk together."

"You mean like walking my girlfriend to her next class?" Santana raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah just it will only have this meaning for us."

"That sounds more than great."

* * *

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to not grab your hand right now?" Santana whispered into Brittany's ear when they entered the school.

"San, I want it, too but we both want our relationship to stay private so you have to behave."

"But it is so hard when you're wearing this short skirt and everyone is watching you." Santana whined. Brittany giggled and took Santana's pinky in hers. If they couldn't hold hands then there had to be another way to be able to have contact. Holding Brittany's hand would have been better but Santana didn't argue; she was just happy to be able to touch Brittany somehow. Giving Brittany a weak smile Santana finally sighed and nodded. They didn't get to hold pinkies for too long because Santana spotted Blaine chatting to Kurt and Rachel and Santana just had to talk to him and thank him for everything. She shouted his name with a big smile causing not only him to turn around but also other students. He smiled, too and Santana ran to him wrapping her arms around his neck. He laughed and wrapped his arms around her waist. Rachel and Kurt were exchanging confused looks with each other and raised their eyebrows at each other.

"You seem happy?" Blaine questioned knowingly when their laughter died down.

"Very." Santana whispered and flashed a smile at Brittany who had joined them.

"I'm happy for you Santana." Blaine replied sincerely.

"I wanted to thank you. You know for everything you did and for the help. I don't know if I would be this way if you hadn't helped." Rachel and Kurt were continuing with being confused and they wanted to know what was going on. Since when was Blaine so close with Santana? Kurt was more surprised because Blaine hadn't told him about it and if it wasn't Santana he would have been mad at Blaine for keeping it from him.

"No problem. I'm your friend and you know whenever you need something I'll be here. That goes for you, too, Brittany. I'm here if you need me." Santana wrapped her arms again around Blaine and Brittany followed with wrapping her arms around Santana and Blaine shouting 'group hug'.

"Thanks, Blaine." Brittany said.

"Oh, no." They heard Kurt saying. The trio pulled apart looking confused at Kurt who nodded towards someone behind them. They turned around seeing Karofsky with a slushie in his hand glaring at Blaine just as he was about to walk away. Santana rolled her eyes. Obviously what she said wasn't clear enough.

"Karofsky." She shouted causing the football player to turn around. He looked at her questioningly and fearful. Santana sounded serious the last time and he wasn't sure if she would really do what she threatened. He didn't want to challenge her, though. Santana raised her hand beckoning Karofsky to come over. He obliged and managed to drag his feet to her with the frozen drink still in hand.

"What?" He asked trying to sound intimidating. Santana grabbed the collar of Karofsky's letterman jacket and pulled him down so that he could face her. She took the slushie from him and looked at it.

"Cherry. That's my favorite." She eyed the drink before looking at Blaine, Rachel and Kurt. "What does he usually do with this drink?" She asked. Blaine, Rachel and Kurt were looking at each other afraid of saying something that would piss Karofsky off. Santana rolled her eyes. They were taking too long to answer. "I asked you something. What does he usually do with this drink? Does he drink it?" Kurt shook his head. By this time the hallway was silent. The students were watching the interaction between Santana and the rest interested. Santana took a sip from the sweet drink and gave it Blaine while licking her lips. "Show me." She was not stupid. She knew what Karofsky wanted to do and she was not letting it pass. Not when she was able to stop it.

"What?" Blaine asked surprised looking down at the slushie.

"C'mon, Blaine I know you heard me. I'm not stupid." Santana looked again at Karofsky who was still locked in the position Santana was holding him. He was fidgeting nervously. The attention was making him anxious and he knew that this was going to have bad consequences for him and his reputation. "Do it." She demanded. Blaine looked at Santana who gave him an encouraging nod. She took a step back without releasing Karofsky in order to stay clean when Blaine would finally find the courage to slushy him. "Do it." And with a last nod from Blaine she saw him raising the drink and emptying the contents of the cup right into Karofsky's face. The students around them gasped and loud whispering could be heard. Blaine was looking between the empty cup and Karofsky's angry- now red from the cold drink- face.

Again Santana stepped closer to him speaking into his ear. "Wasn't I clear enough last week? How many times do I have to prove you that you won't get away with messing with my friends? Do I need to prove it to you again or are you going to stop? Because I can't guarantee you something as harmless as a slushie making your eyes burn and cold liquid sliding down your spine making you shiver. Next time something else will make you shiver and I can't promise you pleasant experiences. Am I clear?" Karofsky didn't answer. He was looking ashamed at his shoes. "Am I clear?" Santana repeated again louder. This time Karofsky nodded without looking up. "Great." Santana replied with fake sweetness. She let go off Karofsky forcefully. "Enjoy cleaning yourself up." She patted Karofsky's chest and turned around starting to walk to her first class leaving him and the rest of the group dumbfound back.

"What was that?" Brittany asked while catching up with Santana.

"What do you mean?"

"C'mon, Santana you know what I mean. The thing between Karofsky and Blaine."

"I just don't like when he is bullying Blaine. No one is speaking up because everyone is too afraid and I am not letting that pass. Especially when it's Blaine." Santana shrugged.

"Do you have any idea how proud of you I am right now?" Santana stopped and looked at Brittany who was now looking at her as if she was the best thing in the world. "I can't understand why you always think so bad of yourself when you obviously aren't. You just made a huge change in this school because someone bullied their fellow student. If everyone had the courage to speak up the way you do, we would live in a better world. You make this school to a better place, Santana and if that makes you a bad person like you always think of yourself then I wish everyone was as bad as you."

"No, I'm not. He is my friend. I would do it again for you and for him and for any of my friends. I am just not accepting this behavior. I just care about him and I don't like when people like Karofsky harass people just because they are weaker or more different than him."

"You should stop being so modest. Because the Santana I saw back there is the real Santana. No matter how much you try to hide or deny it."

"Thank you." Was all Santana could say before the bell rang indicating the beginning of the first lesson and she took Brittany's pinky in hers guiding her to their lesson.

* * *

"I just don't see why we had to get more homework than other students. It's just unfair. I thought he wasn't mad at us for having to leave the lesson earlier than everyone else." Santana nagged while she walked with Brittany to their lockers.

"Santana it's not only that we skipped almost the whole lesson. It's the fact that we left the class room in a mess with foam lying practically everywhere. So I understand why he gave us more homework although I don't like the decision either." Brittany opened her locker and put her book inside. "Do you want to do something with me after school?"

"Of course, Britt. Do you want to come over after Cheerios practice? We don't have the studio today so my afternoon is free and I have time for you only."

"Sounds good."

"Okay then it's-" Brittany closed her locker to see what interrupted Santana. She saw Puck putting his hands over Santana's eyes as if he wanted to play 'Guess who'. She felt angry. Angry because Puck just couldn't understand when a no meant no. Besides he was hitting on her girlfriend and Brittany was not okay with that. But Santana was a strong and confident girl. She hated games like those because it was kind of scary when someone was clasping their hands over your eyes. What if it was a creeper? The first thought which entered her mind was to defend herself. And that's what she did. With a swift move she threw Puck over her shoulder and he landed with a loud thud on the ground.

"Ow." Puck growled. Santana slammed her locker door shut. Brittany on the other hand was suppressing a giggle.

"Puck! What the fuck?" Santana said angrily.

"Jeez, Santana what's gotten into you? I didn't know you are a fighter." He stood up rubbing the back of his head.

"Don't ever do that again and I won't be forced to hurt you again. What did you want anyway?" Santana turned to look at Brittany who was now gripping the handle of her locker trying to look calmly but Santana saw at the way her body was tensed that Brittany hadn't much patience left with Puck.

"You know I think last week wasn't that great between us. And I wanted to ask you if you want to start all over again by grabbing a coffee with me?"

"You're never going to stop hitting on me, aren't you?"

"Not until you say yes."

"Then I hope you like disappointments and more injuries because I will never say yes. And if you won't stop asking I swear I will call Joe."

"Who's Joe?"

"The guy who will kick your ass and crack your balls if you don't stay away from Santana." Brittany interrupted and stepped between Santana and Puck. "And now back off." It was the first time anyone had seen Brittany this way. She was always so sweet and lovely that Puck was looking at her now confused and so was Santana. She liked though Brittany's possessive side and her heart was beating faster.

"You heard her." Santana gave Puck a weak smile and waved at him.

"Are you really sure about that?" He asked once again.

"Yeah pretty sure and please stop asking."

"Fine I don't understand it but it's your choice. Your loss Santana." Santana nodded a last time and watched Puck walk away before she turned to Brittany who was still watching Puck. Santana was smirking and when Brittany saw her she blushed.

"What?" Brittany asked shyly.

"Nothing. It's cute how you're trying to keep bad boys from me. And it's even cuter when you blush." Santana tapped Brittany's nose and took Brittany's pinky in hers.

"I trust you, I really do. I just don't trust him. But I still don't like it when someone is hitting on you."

"I am yours and you are mine. Don't ever forget that. And thank you for keeping bad boys from me."

"I won't forget it and I will always keep bad boys away. Cheerios practice now?"

"What are you waiting for?" Santana asked and started dragging Brittany to towards the gym.

"Whoa easy, Sanny." Brittany giggled and started walking faster.

* * *

Santana tried to do her best to not let her jaw drop onto the floor while she was watching Brittany dance in her short skirt. And to her surprise the choreography was pretty modern for a coach who was… wait how old was Coach Sylvester? Anyway, that didn't change the fact that Brittany was outstanding whilst dancing. Brittany was really talented and Santana had to know because she was really talented too. It was really magical how Brittany was moving. Her body was moving so elegant and Santana had never seen something so breathtaking in her entire life.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket and started filming the choreography. On the one hand she was filming it because Brittany was her girlfriend and she was dancing awesome but on the other hand she was filming it because she was pretty sure she could do something with it. Maybe Brittany would like to dance on her next show or she could introduce Brittany to a few influential producers and agents. One of them being Shelby of course. Brittany maybe didn't want to become famous but some extra money for a few hours dancing didn't hurt right? A lot of times Brittany was flashing Santana a smile and Santana wanted just to walk over and take Brittany in her arms. Today was harder than she thought. She spent almost the whole day with Brittany and every time Brittany was saying or doing something cute that made Santana wanting to kiss her. Pinky linking was torture as well. Santana just wanted to grab her hand and intertwine their fingers. It was nice to be able to touch Brittany just a little but it was hard because Santana knew that she could have Brittany in every way.

"Santana?" Brittany waved her hand in front of Santana's face trying to catch her attention.

"Oh, sorry." Santana shook her head clearing her thoughts. Brittany giggled and sat next to Santana.

"Where were you with your thoughts silly?"

"I couldn't stop staring at your dancing. I mean, I knew you could dance, but you're amazing."

"Thanks. I feel flattered. You know because of getting a compliment of a superstar."

"No, you should be proud of yourself. I am just your..." Santana looked around making sure that no one was listening. The gym was empty. They hadn't noticed that everyone walked out. "… your girlfriend and I am supporting you hundred percent." Brittany smiled and leaned forward kissing Santana.

"Thank you."

"Anything for you."

"As much as I would like to continue sitting with you here I have to get showered. I'll meet you outside in your car?"

"Of course. See you in a few." Brittany kissed Santana once more and disappeared in the girls' locker room.

* * *

"So you and Sam? Is it official now?" Megan questioned Quinn while they were dressing. Quinn glared at her. She didn't like Megan at all. She was the only girl who could steal her position as head cheerleader- and Santana -but Quinn didn't know that. But that wasn't the only reason. Megan was genuinely bad just because her parents were rich and they were constantly buying her new things. Quinn knew that Megan did this to feel better and she was not going to play Megan's little game.

"Megan, just because your boyfriend fucks every bimbo in Lima doesn't mean you have to interfere into other people's business." Quinn replied calmly with her famous 'don't- mess- with- me- smirk'. It had worked because Megan crossed her arms over her chest defensively raising her eyebrow. It was so easy to make her shut up when you knew her weakness and Quinn turned around again and shoved some last things into her locker.

She heard how Megan and her friends left the locker room. Fact was that Megan was tough as nails but this was just a façade. She was just an insecure girl hiding behind a mask. Her boyfriend Tyler was a huge asshole. He was indeed fucking every bimbo in Lima and that was giving Megan a hard time. Since she found out that Tyler was cheating on her she changed. From the nice girl she went to full time bitch always insulting everything and everyone around her. She was jealous of everyone who was even a little happier than her and if someone was radiating happiness Megan was right there to destroy it.

A smart girl of course would leave her boyfriend if he was cheating on you but Megan was not only mean she was also stupid. She was blind because of love and she kept going back to him. Quinn somehow felt sorry for her but her despise for the girl was stronger than the pity so she just kept minding her own business. If Megan wanted to continue suffering and being hurt every time her so called boyfriend was thrusting into another girl, then that was her problem. Quinn just couldn't understand why a girl couldn't respect herself so much to not be so pathetic or let someone treat her this way. And being in love was not an excuse to give up on rational thinking.

"Hey, Q." Brittany opened her locker next to Quinn's and smiled at her sweetly.

"Britt." Quinn was sounding almost surprised to see her friend. "How are you? I haven't seen you since Saturday."

"I'm fine. I was hanging around with Santana." Quinn sighed and shook her head.

"I miss you, B. And I miss spending time with you. It's not that I'm jealous or something. You're my best friend and I just want to see you. Only you, without Santana." This was right, right? Quinn asked herself. Friends should be honest with each other and that's what Quinn was doing. She barely had hung out with Brittany and she missed her. And this time she really wasn't worried about Santana stealing her best friend. It was the fact that Brittany was like a sister to her and when Brittany didn't have time for her something was missing. Sure she was now seeing Sam but she still wanted to have her girls' time with Brittany and she just hoped that Brittany wanted that too. She watched Brittany change into her normal clothes and after pulling her shirt over her head, Brittany pulled Quinn into a hug.

"I miss you, too." Brittany mumbled into Quinn's shoulder.

"We should go shopping or something. Anything as long as we spent some time together."

"We will do something, soon. I promise."

"Great."

"So what is with you and Sam now?" Brittany asked casually while drying her hair with a towel. Quinn smiled.

"He's a nice guy and I really like him. He is treating me very well, like a gentleman. My mom adores him. She even invited him over for dinner. Speaking of dinner, I have to go, Britt. I'll see you tomorrow. I guess you have plans with Santana?" Brittany nodded. "Great, say hi from me and have fun."

"You, too Quinnie." And with that Quinn left Brittany in the locker room alone. She finished everything pretty quickly in order to get to Santana faster but as always there was something keeping her from leaving. And this time it was Megan with her friends standing in the hall waiting for her. Brittany greeted them briefly not wanting to have to do with Megan more than necessary. One of Megan's friends stopped her, though by blocking her way. Brittany rolled her eyes wanting to pass only to be stopped again. "Okay, can we stop now with the little games? Because I really need to go now." Megan laughed.

"I really can't imagine you having to be somewhere right now. Because I need you here right now. Let's have a little talk Brittany." Brittany was starting to get worried. Megan was behaving really strange. "You know I noticed that you and Santana Lopez are hanging out a lot. Why?"

"We're friends." Brittany shrugged and Megan laughed again.

"Yeah I saw that but I am confused. Help me out a little because I don't understand one thing. She is Santana Lopez, an international star and she chose you out of all people? Let me explain that better because we all know you're a bit slow. You are a dumb little girl." Brittany felt herself getting more hurt with every minute. Usually she didn't care what people said. Because what always counted was the opinion of her family and other people who were important to her. But being called dumb was a no- go. Even Brittany had her boundaries which Megan was crossing. Tears were threatening to spill over but Brittany wasn't giving Megan the satisfaction of seeing her helpless and hurt. She took a deep breath and gulped.

"Continue, Megan. Make yourself feel better by insulting other people. That's the only thing you can do." Brittany mumbled and Megan hit a locker making Brittany cringe.

"You know I have a theory about the 'friendship'…" Megan air quoted the word and stepped closer to Brittany making her hit the locker with her back. "… you and Santana share. Because the fact that an international star chose you as a friend can't be real. She makes herself feeling better by seeing how dumb you really are." Brittany shook her head in order to clear her thoughts. She was not dumb. It truly hurt what Megan was saying to her. It was crawling under her skin making her shiver. She was on the verge of believing what was being told to her. She really wasn't the smartest person and Santana could have a better girlfriend than her. Someone who was able to understand better. What if she didn't deserve to be Santana's girlfriend? Santana was such a sweet girl and she was a superstar. Why would a superstar like Santana want to be with a normal girl like Brittany? Santana could do so much better. Brittany didn't want to let Megan manipulate her but it was so hard to not let these thoughts enter her mind. Megan leaned closer to Brittany. Brittany was honestly a little afraid. She didn't know what Megan was capable of but this was not how she had met the girl. High school had changed her and maybe Tyler was part of the reason too, but Megan had never been this hostile towards someone until she became part of the Cheerios. Brittany blinked at the two other girls behind Megan who were supposed to be her friends. Brittany could see that they didn't mean it the way Megan did and she felt sorry for them for being too afraid to speak up. "Let's face the truth, Brittany. Why should she even want to be your friend?" This time Brittany wasn't so strong to hold back the tears and a few managed to escape wetting her cheeks.

"I think you should leave this one to me." Everyone turned around. Santana was standing a few meters away from them. Her lips were pressed into a thin line, her hands balled into fists and she was looking at Megan as if she wanted to kill her every second. Her voice sounded so cold it caused a shiver to run down Brittany's spine. She had never seen Santana so angry and cold.

Although she knew that it wasn't directed to her she was still scared. She could see how tensed Santana was, trying to remain as calm as possible for Brittany's sake but also for her publicity. If she hurt Megan it would come out eventually and would cause a not so great story. Megan stepped back. She looked intimidated, almost terrified and regretful that she did this to Brittany without considering the possibility that Santana might be there to catch them.

After all Santana and Brittany were together almost all of the time. Santana turned to Brittany who was wiping the tears away. It was visible how her gaze and her features softened and her body relaxed when she looked at Brittany caringly. "Are you alright? Did she hurt you?" Brittany shook her head and watched Santana walking over to her. Santana was still not convinced. Stepping protectively in front of Brittany she looked again at Megan all her trace of kindness and caring disappearing. "I don't know what this is all about but let me get one thing clear. If I catch you again talking to Brittany this way and insult her, I swear I am not going to remain as calm as I am now. From now on, you're going to stay away from her. I don't want to see you talking to her. Hell, I don't want you to even look at her. Understood?"

"What is so special about Brittany anyway? You are Santana fucking Lopez. Why Brittany?" Megan asked defensively.

"Because she is everything you aren't and now back the fuck off. That applies for you two as well." Santana looked at Megan's friends. She motioned to them to leave and with a last glare Megan left with her friends. Santana waited for the three girls to disappear behind a corner before turning around only to see Brittany now crying freely and sliding down onto the floor. Santana's heart clenched at the sight and she dropped onto her knees in order to wrap her arms around Brittany's trembling frame. "Shh, baby it's alright. They're gone." Santana rocked Brittany back and forth. "Please, Britt. Stop crying. I swear I will start, too."

"Why?" Brittany managed to get out between sobs.

"Why, what?"

"Why did you choose me?" Brittany pulled away looking at Santana with puffy, red eyes.

"You are kidding me right now, right?" Santana couldn't believe that Brittany let Megan manipulate her. She didn't get to hear everything from the beginning but it was enough to make her blood boil and wanting to tear Megan's head off.

There was no sign that Brittany was kidding and the fact that Santana wasn't answering made Brittany more insecure than she already was because of Megan. Brittany looked away feeling more tears spilling over. "Hey, Britt look at me." Santana said while she took Brittany's hand in hers. Finally Brittany looked up at her and waited for Santana to continue. "You really want to know why?"

Santana waited for a sign from Brittany that she was listening and when Santana got a weak nod from her she started. "Brittany, since we started dating I wake up every morning asking myself why you chose me. I can't believe how I got so lucky. Since the first day I met you, you have been nothing but honest with me. Do you know how much I appreciate that because I am living and working in a business where my world is full of lies and masks. From the first time I met you, you made feel special no matter how famous I was. You liked me for who I really was and not for what I had. You make me want to be a better person and besides Sam, you were the only one who managed to get behind my walls and not even Sam managed to get so far behind as you did. What she said is not right, Brittany. You are the smartest person I know because you acknowledge people the way they are. You are the most beautiful person I know and I chose you because I fucking fell for you, Brittany. I fell for you because of you and not because of something she or any other person says. Nothing could ever make me think less of you." Brittany looked at Santana who was kneeling in front of her holding her hand almost pleading to believe her. She smiled and brought her hands up to Santana's face cupping her cheeks. She didn't know what to answer so she just brought Santana's face closer to hers and pressed her lips to Santana's hoping that everything she wanted to say was understood by Santana. "C'mon, let's head home. School's getting depressing."

"Thank you, Santana." Brittany said genuinely.

"Anything for you."

* * *

Santana could still feel that Brittany was tense. During the whole ride and now when they were sitting on Santana's bed while she was filing Brittany's nails and listening to some music, Brittany had barely spoken. Being called stupid was the only thing Brittany would never accept about herself. It made her feel insecure and vulnerable and that was not okay. Brittany was usually really secure about herself but what had to do with her intelligence was off limits for everyone but her. She just kept staring out of Santana's window while Santana was telling her some stories about her business and about her new album. She never mentioned the new song, though. That was still going to be a surprise and Santana wasn't planning to change her plan. The only thing she wanted was to take Brittany's pain away. It made her so sad that a stupid person like Megan had managed to get past Brittany's barriers and hurt her. She should've ripped her head off when she had the chance to, but for her and Brittany's sake she had stayed calm. Thinking back at the incident was enough to make Santana's blood boil again and she could feel the anger running through her body. Sadness was something Santana didn't want to see on Brittany. Sure it would be weird to be happy all the time but still all Santana wanted was to be able to protect Brittany. She had failed and that made her feel even worse. With a sigh she put the nail polish aside and looked at Brittany's freshly filed nails. The light pink tone was pretty on Brittany and although she didn't feel like it a small smile crept up on Santana's lips.

"I'm sorry." She finally broke the silence. Brittany shifted her gaze from the window towards Santana and looked at her quizzically.

"For what?"

"For not being able to protect you. For not being able to defend you when she was there. I feel bad. I should've just waited for you in the hall then it would have never happened."

"Santana, why are you blaming yourself for this? It was not your fault. Megan is just looking for trouble. She makes herself feel better by bringing other people down. It's my fault for letting her make me feel bad." Brittany scooted closer to Santana and rested her head on Santana's shoulder.

"But she still hurt you." Santana said while wrapping her arms around Brittany and kissing the top of her head softly.

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Brittany, look at you. Since we left school you've barely said anything. You just talk if it is really necessary. Besides humming, a yes or a no, I haven't heard anything from you. It hurts seeing you sad, Brittany. I don't… I don't like seeing you this way. I am blaming myself because I could've stopped it if I was there earlier."

"But you did stop it. If you weren't there Megan would probably said worse things to me."

"If you ask me, what she said was already enough. Please stop beating yourself up over this. Everything she said was a lie. Why does it bother you so much? You usually don't care about stuff like this."

"Because she called me stupid. Since kindergarten people pick at me for not being the most intelligent person and it just hurts. I always ignore things people say behind my back but I am not accepting stupid."

"Why can't you just believe me when I tell you that you're not stupid?"

"Because it is hard to believe it when I don't believe it myself."

"I swear I am not letting that happen again. I will always be here for you, Britt no matter what."

"Thank you." Brittany said and looked up pecking Santana's lips. She watched how Santana got off the bed after parting their lips. Brittany was confused but when she saw Santana walk over next to her couch and pick up the guitar from its stand and walk again back to the bed she relaxed.

"What are you doing?"

"When I was little Holly used to sing to me when I was upset about something. Most of the reasons was because of my parents but I soon realized that Holly actually was my mom and my dad at the same time." Santana laughed. "And I want to make you feel better." Santana scooted closer to Brittany and placed the guitar softly onto her lap. "The song is originally called Superman but you know since I am not a man I will just change it." Brittany nodded smiling and Santana started playing the first chords of the song without averting her gaze from Brittany. "There are no words to paint a picture of you, girl. Your eyes, those curves it's like you're from some other world. You walk my way oh god, it's so frustrating. So while I disappear when you come near it makes me feel so small while I blow my lines most every time, like I got no chance at all. If I could be a supergirl I'd fly you to the stars and back again 'cause every time you touch my hand and feel my powers running through your veins. But I can only write this song and tell you that I'm not that strong. 'Cause I'm no supergirl I hope you like me as I am." Santana smiled softly at Brittany before finishing the final lines of the song and set the guitar next to her on the bed.

"I don't care if you're a supergirl or not. I just want you to be Santana because that's perfectly fine." Brittany whispered smiling and wrapped her arms around Santana's neck and kissing her sweetly. And she was happy again which made Santana smile into the kiss and she felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Her heart was fluttering because again she realized that Brittany liked her for who she was and no matter what she did Brittany would be there accepting and supporting her. And the next day Brittany noticed what role Santana was really playing in her life because of a simple note she found in her book. Santana must have slipped it into her book when she wasn't looking.

'Head held high, babe. I'm here…' and underneath it there was a heart and a superman sign which made Brittany get over the incident with Megan. Brittany wasn't the only one who had saved Santana on her first day in Lima but Santana had also saved Brittany from making herself feel bad about something a person who didn't even matter the slightest had said. And Brittany swore that her smile had never been as bright as it was after seeing the note.

* * *

**A/N Thank you for your patience and all your reviews. And thanks to my friends who helped me with figuring out this chapter. I changed some things in my story. I deleted the lyrics since that's what always annoys me ,too. The lyrics I consider as relevant for the story and the character developement are still there but I promise no more lyrics. Let me know what you think either here or on my tumblr: kissinglips95. tumblr. com**


	13. Chapter 13: Stardust

**Chapter 13: Stardust **

* * *

"What do you mean 'you can't help me'?" Santana ran a frustrated hand through her hair. "Blaine, I'm freaking out here." She continued whining. "I've been standing in my closet for about an hour and a half and I still have no idea what the fuck I should wear." Loud laughter could be heard through the speaker when Blaine understood the double meaning of Santana's statement which was not planned and Blaine's laughter just made Santana groan in frustration. "Blaine that's not funny."

"Sorry, Santana but this is just the typical gay joke and the best part is that it applies to you." His laughter continued. "But seriously now, I really can't help you if I'm not there."

"Blaine, you're gay. You're supposed to have fashion sense, aren't you?" Again Blaine's laughter rang in her ears and she just couldn't help the smile that managed to appear on her face.

"Santana, I'm sure I could help you if I was there but if I can't see anything I am not able to help you. Just go with something simple I don't think you need something fancy for Brittany. She would still like you even if you went in sweatpants."

"It's my first date with her. I want everything to be perfect. And since when do I go out in sweatpants? I always look presentable. I just can't handle pictures of myself looking horrible all over tabloids. Blaine, I'm not sure if you get what I mean but trust me it is mortifying."

"Have you ever seen me without hair gel?"

"Oh yeah you have like tons of it in your hair. What's the deal with that?"

"Get ready to get a message tomorrow morning. And now back to your issue. Santana I really can't help you, ask Sam or Ms. Holiday. But I wish you the best for your date." Santana sighed.

"Okay, fine but thank you. And I am waiting for that picture."

"Tomorrow, I promise. Bye, Santana. Have fun." Santana thanked him again and hung up. Throwing her phone onto her bed she walked into her closet looking through her shelves and hangers. She had so many clothes and still it was impossible for her to find something to wear. Everything was so expensive as most the money she earned was spent on clothes and shoes. She brushed her fingers over some dresses and most of them were worn only once or twice. It was sad but once Santana was seeing something she liked she had to buy it no matter if she wore it or not. Every piece of clothing was neatly arranged on the shelves. Every shirt on one and every pair of pants on another. So many nice things and for everything she had in the closet, Santana could find a reason to not wear it. Either she would look too overdressed in it or too casual in them and Santana wanted to look neither overdressed nor casual. Many of the clothes weren't even bought by herself. Many of them were sent to her in order to promote the clothing line but Santana hadn't always worn them. She preferred clothes that matched her. Things she felt comfortable in when she was wearing them. Sighing she ran her hand through her hair again.

"Oh Brittany, you have no idea what you're doing to me." Santana muttered looking around.

"Happy." Santana turned around startled. Holly was leaning against the door frame of her walk in closet, a smile gracing her lips. "She is making you happy, honey." She pushed herself off and walked over where Santana was standing.

"Is it weird?"

"Why?"

"I dunno. I mean Brittany and I are together for a week and I feel like it is a lifetime. I feel great around her and she is-" Santana paused for a second to think about what she wanted to say. "I just really, really like her and I am afraid that I might care too much."

"Why do you think that?" Holly took a seat on one of the armchairs in Santana's closet and continued looking at Santana trying to understand.

"What if I am involved too much?"

"You should always look how you're feeling. If being with Brittany feels right then you should just stop thinking. Santana I know you. You are always thinking too much." Holly patted her lap and waited for Santana to come over. Taking her hand she pulled the younger girl onto her lap and wrapped her arms around Santana's waist. "Just like your dad." Holly mumbled against Santana's shoulder. Santana wrapped her arms around Holly's shoulders and buried her face into blonde hair. "You do know that they loved you." Santana tensed.

"Holly." She warned. Her parents was as always the last thing she wanted to talk about and especially not when she was going to see Brittany in a few hours. Holly had to just try again to get Santana to talk about it. There was one thing that was keeping Santana from being entirely happy and that was her parents. She needed to talk about it but Holly didn't want to pressure her.

"I kind of needed to talk to you about something when I came up here." Santana nodded and waited for Holly to continue. "Abuela called today. She wants us to spend the weekend there. We're leaving tomorrow after breakfast. You do know what that means, right?"

"I have to tell her?"

"She's your grandma and I think she deserves to know."

"I'm afraid."

"I know you are and I know it is going to be hard but Sam and I will be there and we got your back. We're here for you no matter what happens." Santana sighed and nodded. "Now do you want me to help you with choosing your outfit?"

"Oh god yes. I am so frustrated."

"Okay, good let's see what you have." Holly and Santana stood up and walked over to the hangers. Santana was just glad that Holly finally changed the topic.

* * *

"And now put your pointer here and your middle finger here." Sam guided Quinn's fingers on his guitar trying to show her a little how to play. Quinn who was frustrated because she couldn't keep her fingers on the right spots sighed and leaned her forehead against Sam's shoulder. They were sitting on the kitchen counter and now when they were thinking about it neither of them had an idea how they had ended up there. Part of it may have been Quinn's hunger and Sam had chopped some fruits for his girlfriend. He was so caring and contrary to public belief, chivalry was not dead and Sam was always proving that. Holly was proud of him that he treated girls with respect. "C'mon you're a smart, determined girl. You can do this. Try again." He encouraged her softly with a reassuring smile. Quinn tried again but again she failed. She couldn't try again because Sam and her got distracted by the sound of heels clicking on the marble floor. Turing around they saw Holly and Santana entering the kitchen. Santana was wearing a very expensive looking purple dress which ended above her knees, black tights and matching shoes. Sam smiled at Santana and set his guitar aside. He jumped off the counter and walked towards his sister taking her hand and letting her turn in order to look at her better. "Santana, you look beautiful." He said and pulled his 'sister' against his chest. Santana giggled and wrapped her arms around Sam's waist hugging him tighter.

"I agree." Quinn smiled.

"Thank you, guys. Quinn, I didn't know you where here."

"Actually it was spontaneous. Sam and I are preparing a number for glee club."

"Glee club?" Santana asked confused and looked at Sam questioningly. He just shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah, I decided to join. I liked it the last time I was there when you performed and Mr. Shuester was more than happy. He asked me to ask you again if you want to join?"

"I don't know. I will think about it but I don't know if I will change my mind."

"So, where are you taking Brittany?" Sam walked back to Quinn and sat again next to her onto the counter.

"I have to take her to Breadstix."

"You have to?" Quinn asked confused. Brittany hadn't mentioned where Santana was taking her but she also didn't know because Santana told her that it would be a surprise. But if Brittany wanted to go to Breadstix she would've told Quinn and Santana who had asked in the first place.

"Yeah, I have to. I wanted to take her on a date that's not the problem. But Shelby called and I have to make a public appearance to promote the restaurant. That's not how I had imagined my first date with Brittany to be but Shelby wouldn't let me cancel. Do you think Brittany is going to get mad?" Santana asked suddenly worried. What if Brittany had a problem with Santana mixing up her job and her private life and she was going to get mad and cancel the date?

"Hm, I don't know." Quinn said after thinking for a while. "But promoting the restaurant means there are going to be taken pictures so I guess you should warn her beforehand. Brittany is not the type who likes to be in the spotlight. So better tell her because keeping it from her will make her mad." Santana puffed out a shot of air from her mouth. God, that was going to be hard.

"I will keep that in mind. So I better get going. My beautiful girlfriend is waiting for me." Santana smiled and with a last wave she wished her family and Quinn a good afternoon.

* * *

After Santana rang the bell Elijah opened the door with a big smile. He was dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie and it was huge difference to the last time Santana had seen him. But he was still very handsome.

"Come in, Santana. Brittany is still upstairs." He said while Santana followed him into the living room. "Make yourself comfortable. We were trying to agree what movie to watch. The girls here…" He pointed towards his wife and his younger daughter who were looking at two DVD cases. "… want to watch 'Just Like Heaven' and I am for 'The Transporter'. But we can't agree."

"When Sam is sick we always lie in bed together watch 'The Transporter'." Santana smiled. "He loves this movie so I have watched it enough times. I actually can quote almost the whole movie."

"Sam?" Elijah raised one of his eyebrows in confusion. He didn't know who Sam was and Santana had to remind herself that not everyone was fond of her story like fans were. She chuckled when she saw Stacey rolling her eyes at her dad's lack of knowledge.

"Well I always refer to him as my brother but we're not really related. But we see each other as siblings and it isn't blood which makes a family. It is love and I love my brother." Brittany's parents smiled at Santana's words. They were impressed by Santana's view of the world and if they had any doubt that she was Brittany's girlfriend now it had vanished. Brittany had a few relationships which her parents didn't approve of but they were never judging and let their daughter make her own experiences. As long as she wasn't getting pregnant or doing drugs everything was okay. Santana was a girl full of respect and openness towards everything. She may not always be the nicest person but when she actually cared she was showing her other side. And if Brittany's parents weren't impressed the first time when they met Santana they certainly were now.

"I know, right?" Brittany asked her parents from the doorway. She knew the expression they had and Brittany was happy that her parents liked Santana. Santana gave her a questioning look but after Brittany smiled at her she forgot. "You look so pretty, Santana." Santana felt her cheeks redden and then finally examined Brittany choice of clothes. Brittany was wearing a black skirt and a white, long sleeved top and in the middle of her top was a big pink heart. Santana smiled and complimented Brittany, too. She took Brittany's coat from the hanger and held it for Brittany to slip her arms through.

"Oh you guys should watch 'Just Like Heaven' and not because 'The Transporter' isn't a good movie because it really is, but because I have seen it too many times." Santana said before opening the door for Brittany.

"You heard her." Stacey said and Elijah chuckled raising his hands in defeat.

* * *

"So before we start with our date night, I have to tell you something." Santana started nervously when they were sitting in the car. "Well the first part of the date was not really my idea because it is kind of my job to do that." Brittany tilted her head to the side not quite getting what Santana was meaning with 'it was her job'. "Shelby called me a few days ago. I have to promote Breadstix which means that I have to go and have dinner there and pictures have to be taken. So there are going to be a lot of people. Paparazzi and fans. Shelby told me to do it today and I really wanted to do it at another time but she didn't let me. I didn't want to cancel our date so I figured we go eat at Breadstix and then there is a second part which I won't tell you about." She saw how Brittany slumped back in her seat. Santana clenched her eyes shut waiting for the storm that was about to come but when she didn't hear anything she opened one eye and looked at Brittany who was now looking back at her kind of nervous while fidgeting with her fingers.

"How long do we have to stay there?" To Santana's surprise Brittany was sounding calm, too calm maybe for Santana's liking. She was expecting Brittany to be mad or at least a bit scared. But there was her girlfriend sitting calmly next to her still waiting for an answer. Oh, Brittany was still waiting for answer! Santana shook her head to clear her thoughts and opened her eyes.

"Just for dinner and then we can leave." Santana reassured her. "I promise you I won't let anyone touch you. When we arrive you can just go inside. I have to pose for a while let people take pictures of me, do a few autographs and then I will be by your side."

"Okay." Brittany simply said. Honestly it was a bit weird for her to have to be connected with Santana's job. But she understood that Santana had other priorities besides her and she would be a supportive girlfriend and let Santana do her job. That didn't make the disappointment any less, though. She just wanted to spend a night with Santana without people disturbing her but she knew that was impossible since Santana was famous. Besides Brittany would end up in pictures too and that made her a little uncomfortable. After all she didn't want to be famous, but being Santana's girlfriend- friend for people who didn't knew about their relationship- meant that she couldn't be completely invisible. As long as nothing really shocking happened Brittany was fine with the small amount of publicity she got.

"Okay? Are you sure that you are okay with that?" Santana asked again not really sure if Brittany was okay with that. She wanted to believe that Brittany was okay but on the other hand she didn't want to make her girlfriend uncomfortable. If Brittany asked her to Santana would cancel the promotion. Shelby would be mad but Brittany was definitely more important than a stupid restaurant she had to promote. Brittany leaned over the center console and pressed her lips against Santana's for a sweet kiss which left Santana forget all of her worries. After pulling apart Santana opened her eyes slowly only to find herself staring right back into Brittany's blue orbs and smiled. It was like a déjà vu when Brittany had pulled her into the adjoining room saving her from her crazy fans. Her crystal blue eyes were the first thing Santana had ever noticed on Brittany and every time she looked into them Santana swore that she could see Brittany's soul in them. She could feel the connection between her and Brittany. It was like a bond which was holding them together and one gaze into Brittany's eyes confirmed it. Santana cupped Brittany's cheek and pulled her face closer grazing her lips against each other. "You know if you want me to I will cancel." Santana whispered against Brittany's lips.

"I can't ask you to do that. It won't be that bad and you have to do your job. I will be inside and look outside at my girlfriend proudly. As long as after that we will have time for ourselves it is worth the wait."

"Best. Girlfriend. Ever." Santana said before pecking Brittany's lips once again. "Let's start with our date night. Shall we?" Brittany nodded and Santana started the engine.

When Santana parked her car in front of Breadstix she could already see the mass of people standing in front of the restaurant. The moment she exited the car fans started screaming and flashlights went off. She looked over at Brittany who was looking overwhelmed and didn't know how to behave. In an instant Santana was next to her gripping her hand as if her life was depending on it and pulled Brittany towards the entrance. As she promised she made sure that no one but her was touching Brittany.

"I'll be right back." Santana told her and watched Brittany walking inside nervously. Santana sighed before putting her public smile on and turned around. Paparazzi were going crazy taking pictures of her. Santana approached some screaming fans who were standing in front of the restaurant and gave them all autographs. She posed with a few fans in front of their cameras and made their dreams come true by standing with them in front of a camera with the biggest smile. Of course it was not genuine like it was when she was with Brittany. But it was good enough for everyone to accept it. After all she was a good actress, good at hiding and pretending things. It was part of her job. If everyone was able to read her like an open book she would have never made it in this business. After doing what she was been paid for Santana waved at everyone and went inside. Brittany was sitting in a booth playing with her phone. A drink was already in front of her. Santana immediately felt guilty. She was pretty sure that it had taken her longer than she had intended to. She approached their table and during her walk towards Brittany she could feel everyone's gaze on her. It was always this way and it wasn't like she didn't enjoy the attention because she did, but when she was with Brittany she just wanted to feel free to be herself. "Hey, I'm sorry for taking so long." Santana said softly and sat down in front of Brittany. Brittany flashed her a smile after looking up from her phone and put it back into her purse.

"It's fine you're here now. I was thirsty so I ordered. I hope that is okay."

"Of course it is. And I really am sorry."

"Santana stop. I already told you that it was okay."

"Brittany, no it's not. This was supposed to be our first date and I managed to turn it to my job." Santana whispered carefully so no one could over hear their conversation. Brittany could hear the guilt in Santana's voice and she wanted to comfort her but she couldn't just take her hand. It was frustrating and instead of grabbing Santana's hand, Brittany held her drink.

"Santana, I understand that you have to do some things because it is your obligation and I don't want to hold you back from your job. Besides we have the entire night."

"Best. Girlfriend. Ever." Santana smiled. "I promise you the second part is going to be better." Brittany nodded and right then their waitress came giving them the menu cards. Santana wasn't even paying attention to the waitress who was smiling constantly at her. She was overly nice because Santana was famous and because Santana hated this behavior she decided to just ignore her and just concentrate on her lovely girlfriend in front of her. Since she was paid to be here she didn't have to pay their food or drinks. During their meal a few fans came and asked for autographs. Santana signed a few but when she saw Brittany's expression she declined every time someone was nearing their table. She had lost count of how many times someone had interrupted their conversation so Santana had called for the waitress and asked her to not let people approach their table. Brittany tried her best to hide her uneasiness but Santana could sense it and she apologized right after it which was really appreciated by her girlfriend. It was hard for both girls to hide their relationships. Santana wanted so badly to take Brittany's hand and calm her down and Brittany wanted to show Santana that everything was indeed okay with her although she was a bit nervous. But still it was nice to be able to spend time together. Dinner was not passing as fast as Santana wanted. She didn't want to be there with Brittany when it was her job even if the food was delicious. Especially the free breadsticks in which Santana found her new addiction. Somewhere between dinner she chugged her drink down earning a confused look from Brittany and stood up. "Let's get out of here." Brittany smiled and stood up, too. Both girls put their coats on and after thanking their waitress they left giggling the restaurant. Many people were still standing outside waiting for Santana but she just kept walking with Brittany to the car. Without any hesitation Santana left the lot and drove as fast as she could to the next destination.

* * *

"We're going to the clearing?" Brittany asked when she saw the familiar place. Santana smiled at her and nodded enthusiastically. She got out of the car and opened the door for Brittany. She walked back to her car and handed Brittany a pair of shoes after opening the trunk.

"Put these on we can't walk with high heels through the forest." Brittany eyed the shoes for a moment noticing that they were her own.

"When did you get my shoes?" She asked confused.

"Before we left your house. I stole them." Santana grinned at Brittany and slung a back pack around her shoulders after changing her own shoes. She kissed Brittany and took her hand starting to head off to the clearing. It was cold outside and the girls had their arms slung around each other in order to stay as warm as they could but mostly it was only because they wanted to be near each other. Arriving at the clearing Santana let the back pack drop onto the moist grass and looked at Brittany who was smiling at her lovingly. "You know after you showed me the little Dipper I tried to find it every time I was looking at the night sky. I could never find it and that was the moment where I always realized how much I was missing you because you weren't there to show it to me." Brittany walked over to Santana and took her hand in hers. "Now the sky is covered by clouds and I really like it when you tell me stories about the stars so we are going to make our own stars." Santana pulled Brittany with her towards the back pack. She opened it and handed Brittany who was confused about what Santana was meaning, small packages. Santana took one of the packages and started unfolding a sky lantern. "Ever seen sky lanterns?" She asked with a smile.

"No."

"Okay here you have a lighter. Light it up and then let it fly." Santana handed Brittany a lighter and watched how Brittany lit up the lantern. Brittany let it go and the lantern started floating around lighting up the clearing while it was flying higher and higher.

"Santana, this is beautiful." Brittany whispered and squeezed Santana's hand. Santana took another lantern and started unfolding it. This is how the girls spent the rest of the night. They were letting sky lanterns fly around them till there weren't any left. Brittany was always adding a few stories about constellations and their background mesmerizing Santana with every word that left her lips. The lights of the lanterns made Brittany's eyes sparkle and Santana found herself watching Brittany who was smiling at the sight in front of her.

Santana felt happy just because Brittany made her feel carefree and at ease. It was so easy to just forget the world when Brittany was with her and suddenly she wasn't worried to tell her Abuela about Brittany. Brittany made Santana so happy that her Abuela just had to accept her. And maybe one day Santana could introduce Brittany to her Grandma so that she could see as well how amazing Brittany was and how exciting it was to discover little things about her every time she and Santana were spending time together. And even if her Abuela didn't approve, Santana would not stop seeing Brittany. It took her so long to finally accept her feelings for Brittany and she would not just give up on them. It would be very sad though if Santana's Abuela would be disappointed and probably disgusted.

Santana's Abuela was one of the few people Santana trusted. It was kind of weird that after her parents had died Santana had to move in with Holly but the testament of Santana's parents had said so. At first Santana's Abuela was not really pleased with the last will of her daughter and her son in- law but she didn't want to make the situation more difficult than it already was so she just learned to live with it. And maybe she would learn to live with the fact that Santana loved girls, too. Maybe Santana was trying to make herself feel better because she had still this uneasy feeling in her gut when she was thinking about the weekend. Deep down she knew that her Abuela was going to have a problem with it and that she would give Santana a hard time but still Santana didn't want to believe it. She just didn't want to live with the fact that her Abuela was going to ignore her for the rest of her life just because she loved the same gender. Just because she liked Brittany. She couldn't live with the fact that she would be ignored by her Abuela although they were both healthy and alive. She didn't want to lose her Abuela. She couldn't bear the thought of her family getting even smaller. Her Abuela wasn't the one who took care of her like Holly did but still they were really close. Holly and her always visited her Abuela almost every weekend and when Sam came around she accepted him as if he was her own grandson. She never cared that she didn't know him since his birth. She just accepted that he was an important part of Santana's life and Santana hoped that it would be the same with Brittany. She prayed that it would be the same.

"You are beautiful." Brittany turned around and smiled at her girlfriend. Wrapping her arms around Santana's waist Brittany pulled her closer and connected their lips letting them move perfectly against each other. Santana let her hands ran through Brittany's silky hair causing Brittany to pull her even closer. "I have one last lantern." Santana looked again into her back pack and handed Brittany the last lantern. This time it was a red lantern and when Brittany unfolded it she saw that it was heart shaped.

"And you are calling me the best girlfriend ever?" She giggled. "Here hold it." Santana held one side of the lantern and Brittany the other one and then she lit it up. "We're letting it fly on three, okay?"

"Okay."

"One."

"Two."

"Three." And then both girls let go off the lantern and intertwined their hands instead. They watched as the heart rose up in the air till it was a sparkling dot like the other lanterns.

* * *

"Did you enjoy the date?" Santana asked when she halted her car in front of Brittany's house. The lights were turned off which meant that the rest of the Pierce family were asleep. It was pretty late. The girls had lost track of time when they were at the clearing watching the lanterns and talking. Santana didn't want the night to be over yet because that meant that the weekend with her Abuela was getting closer and closer.

"It was the greatest date I've ever had. Thank you for that." Santana raised an eyebrow at that. "Don't give me that look, sweetie. I really enjoyed it no matter how it started. You made it perfect." Brittany leaned over the center console for a quick peck but Santana pulled her back in after mumbling a silent 'don't'.

Santana's arms were wrapped around Brittany's neck and Brittany had her arms slung around Santana's waist. It was an uncomfortable position but Brittany somehow managed to pull Santana over the center console and onto her lap so that Santana was straddling her without breaking their kiss. Surprised Santana leaned back to look at Brittany but smiled when she saw her girlfriend pouting at the loss of contact and immediately reconnected their lips. Brittany grazed Santana's bottom lip with her tongue begging for entrance and Santana parted her lips letting Brittany's tongue touch her own. Chills were running down Santana's spine. Brittany's hands started roaming slowly. She was running her hands down Santana's back gently.

When air became an issue Santana pulled apart and Brittany continued trailing kisses down Santana's neck making Santana's heart beat even faster. Brittany sucked lightly at Santana's neck and a grunt escaped Santana and when Brittany replaced her lips with her tongue on the same spot Santana gave an approving moan. Was it getting hot in the car or was it just Santana? She didn't care though because Brittany was making her feel awesome and she just needed to feel Brittany's lips against her own again. So she did it. She cupped Brittany face and pressed her now swollen lips against Brittany's. Brittany unzipped Santana's coat and pushed it off her shoulders making it drop onto her feet. Santana was feeling hot and she couldn't deny that Brittany was turning her on with every kiss and every graze of her tongue against her own. Brittany moved her hands further down cupping Santana's ass, she pulled her girlfriend even closer which was almost impossible. Brittany's hands moved down to Santana's tights and slowly they moved up taking the dress with them and trailing it higher up on Santana's tights making Santana shiver at the contact.

"Britt." Santana mumbled against Brittany's lips when she realized what Brittany was doing. "Baby." Santana said a second time and with a last peck she pulled away pushing her dress down. "Slow down, babe."

"Sorry." Brittany looked out of the window embarrassed by her behavior. The last thing she wanted was Santana to think that she was a teenager who couldn't control their hormones. "I just…"

"Hey, look at me." Santana cupped Brittany's chin and tugged it up gently so that she could see into blue orbs. "It's fine. I want you, too. It's just that… um I kind of… I um never had s-sex." Brittany looked at Santana surprised.

"You're still a virgin?" She asked just to make sure that she heard right.

"Y- yeah." Santana whispered and looked away embarrassed. This time it was Brittany's turn to guide Santana's face so that they could look at each other.

"Honey, there's nothing you have to be embarrassed about. It's cute that you waited. And there is nothing wrong with being a virgin."

"It's just that I am busy all the time and I really never trusted someone enough to go further. But mostly it was because I always ended it after the first date. And don't get this wrong I trust you I really do I just don't want to lose my virginity in the front seat of my Porsche."

"Santana, it is fine. Really. Let's just take things slow and whenever you're ready I will make sure that you will have your perfect first time. All right?" Santana nodded and kissed Brittany.

"Thank you. That really means a lot to me."

"Santana, I care about you and you mean a lot to me."

"You mean a lot to me, too, Britt."

"Good." Brittany smiled and pecked Santana's lips. "Will you walk me to the door?"

"Of course." Santana shrugged her coat on and with a few difficulties she managed to get out of the car. The girls walked slowly towards the front door with their hands intertwined. "You should spend your weekend with Quinn. I know she misses you and I know you miss her, too. It's a good opportunity because I won't be in Lima for the weekend."

"Okay but where will you be?"

"My Abuela called and she invited my family and me to spend the weekend. She lives in California."

"Well, have fun then." Brittany smiled.

"I dunno about that. I am going to tell her about me. And you, of course."

"Are you afraid?" Brittany asked interested in Santana's feelings. She knew that Santana was still afraid of telling people and she really wanted Santana to know that there was no pressure to tell everyone. "You don't have to do that."

"I am afraid but I want to tell her. I know we're not together for long but I just want to be honest toward my family when it comes to me. My Abuela is important to me and you are, too so I want her to know how happy you make me."

"That is really mature of you Santana."

"Well I try." Santana replied with a small smile.

"Call me and tell me how it went all right?"

"I will. Have fun with Quinn. Good night, Britt."

"Thanks and good night, San." After a few pecks Santana went back to her car and waited till she saw the lights being switched on in Brittany's room before heading back home. And while she was driving back she couldn't help but notice the uneasy feeling in her gut coming back while thinking about tomorrow. She just hoped that everything was going to be alright with her Abuela.

* * *

**A/N Hey, guys. I am sorry for not posting last week but I was really busy. I always try to post on Sundays, though and when I'm not able to I feel terrible. Trust me I really do. Thank you again for all your reviews and thanks Lex for correcting my chap. Let me know what you think. Either here or on my tumblr: kissinglips95. tumblr. com **


	14. Chapter 14: Drowning

**Chapter 14: Drowning**

* * *

Santana opened her eyes and looked around. All she was seeing was a blurry, blue mess. She couldn't breathe. Literally. The water was drowning out every sound that might have been heard. Her hair was floating around freely just as her thoughts. But as carefree as she felt in that moment that was only her physical state. Her mind on the other side was racing. It was trying to process everything that had happened.

It felt like the day after the funeral. Everyone had shaken her hand or hugged her giving her words of comfort but everything was a lie. Suddenly after her parent's death people who weren't even close to their family started caring. They came to the funeral saying their last goodbyes, some even cried but for Santana everything was a huge lie. A lie she hated more than she hated her anger towards her parents. People were looking at her with pity and for weeks after the death Holly and everyone else were walking around her on eggshells. They were so careful to not say something wrong or do something that would make Santana explode.

Holly and Sam were sure that someday Santana would explode and every emotion she kept bottled up for seven years now would come out. There was a reason why they kept comparing her to a ticking bomb. She just wanted to shut everything out and keep staring ahead although she couldn't make out everything she was seeing besides the colorful lights under water. A sharp pain in her lungs made her remember that she was still alive. Not like this empty, dead feeling she had since she stepped out of her Abuela's house that once used to be one of her safe places. She had hoped that this was just a bad dream from which she could just wake up but unfortunately it wasn't. She couldn't just wake up by pinching herself. The carefree feeling she had, disappeared and was replaced by a heavy weight on her shoulders. It was even harder to breathe and that was not because she was sitting at the bottom of her pool.

She couldn't breathe and that made everything even more difficult. She couldn't even feel her tears that were mixing with the pool water. The chlorine made her eyes burn but she didn't care. She felt weak and that not only because of the lack of oxygen. She remembered that she still had to breathe and slowly she moved up to the surface and with a loud gasp she was finally able to breathe again. She was still seeing the image of her Abuela's hardened features. Her eyes were boring holes into her face. 'I want you to leave this house' her Abuela's stone cold voice echoed in her mind driving her insane.

* * *

_Flashback _

_Santana's eyes fluttered open and the only thing she wanted was to just close them again and continue sleeping. Her eyelids felt heavy and it was hard for her to keep them open. Her limbs felt heavy, too and her heart was beating at rapid paces in her chest. She felt as if she was going to get nauseous any second. Santana had set her alarm clock but because of her nervousness she managed to wake up before it actually went off. Although she got some sleep she felt as if she didn't sleep at all. Normally she was always happy to see her Abuela. But not today. Today she just wished that she didn't have to make such a big step. Silently Santana stood up and walked into her bathroom. The sky was dark and now more than ever Santana could feel that the days had become shorter and the nights longer. She didn't bother though to switch on the light. The only source of light was a light glow coming from her window and the colorful light she had turned on in her shower which was enough. Santana sat on the tiles of her shower letting warm water from the ceiling stream down her body. It was like warm rain and Santana turned it warmer in order to ease her tense muscles. The light turned blue and Santana felt due to its dark color sleepy. If it wasn't for her quickening pulse she would've fallen asleep. She wanted to be honest. She really did but she didn't know that she was going to be so nervous and frightened. Being herself should be easy and she shouldn't care about what other people's opinions were but this was different. This opinion wasn't an opinion from a random person. It was her Abuela. The mother of her mother. The woman who braided her hair and read her stories when she was five. The woman who always gave her candy when Santana's mom wasn't watching. The woman who has been giving her love since day one. It was not a secret that Alma Lopez was the proudest grandma in the world. She couldn't help herself when she was sitting with her friends from the neighborhood drinking a cup of tea when she was talking proudly about her granddaughter who had made it. Everyone knew her. _

_She was especially proud of all the charity projects Santana was involved. She aids the cancer research and she joined a few charity projects against animal abuse. She didn't mind though that her Abuela was using her to show off. She was just proud and she loved her granddaughter and honestly Santana felt flattered. It was cute how much Alma thought of her granddaughter. Half an hour later Santana had finished with her shower and was dressed in grey sweatpants, a white shirt and brown Ugg boots. She didn't need to wear fancy clothes for a lazy weekend with her family. Somehow she was looking forward to it despite the fact that she was nervous. Her Abuela would sure prepare one hell of a Puerto Rican meal and that was always the best. Her worry washed away. It wouldn't be that bad. She looked into the mirror and tugged her lips up into a smile. Courage. Blaine would say that to her if he was there with her. Brittany would kiss her sweetly and tell her that she was a strong girl and that whatever happened she would be there. Santana took her back pack with the things she needed for the weekend and went down into the kitchen. Sam and Holly were sitting there dressed as comfortably as she was. Santana sat next to her family with a smile and took a sip from her coffee. _

"_How are you feeling?" Holly asked._

"_Nervous." _

"_Look yesterday it sounded like I was forcing you to tell her. If you're not ready for that then don't do it." Santana shook her head._

"_No, I want to be honest about myself. She is part of our family and if she really loves me she is going to accept me." She had meant it to sound confident but her family could see right through her tough exterior. Neither did comment though. They knew that if they started with Santana would get angry so they just accepted it and didn't discuss it further. At least that's what Holly thought. _

"_You know I am actually sick of this entire thing." Sam suddenly spoke up not agreeing with Holly. Holly and Santana gave him a questioning look. "There are many topics here that are off limits because Santana just doesn't want to talk about them. We are ignoring things for too long and that is not good. Santana, you're just human and I don't get it why you are so against talking about your feelings. We are your family for fuck's sake we would never judge you. Why can't you just admit that you are scared to your bones about grandma's reaction? Why can't you just admit that you are mad at your parents? You made a whole drama out of your feelings for Brittany which were so easy. Hell we are your family but sometimes I just feel as if you are not thinking this way. Stop shutting us out and share your feelings with us before it is too late. I won't continue watching how you make yourself unhappy when you could just open yourself up to happiness. I see it every day in the way you act and do everything that the things you bottle up inside of you are eating you. You are tense and the only time you're not is when you are with Brittany. You are carefree around her and I wished that you were as carefree with us as you are with her because we are your family." Sam repeated again like a mantra. As if that would make everything clearer for Santana. As if it was the reason and explanation to everything. He grabbed his plate and stood up making his way towards his room. "Call me when we're leaving." He said before disappearing completely. Was it selfish of him that he thought this way? He just wanted Santana to trust him as much as she trusted Brittany. They knew each other for years now and Brittany came into the picture a few months ago. Santana trusted Brittany from the moment they met and Sam had to earn Santana's trust. She had such a hard time with trusting him and Sam had been fighting every day till Santana was ready. She looked over at Holly who was looking at her._

"_You should go talk to him. You know that he is right." Holly admitted with a sad smile and stood up, too to pack some things for their trip leaving Santana guilty behind. Her appetite had disappeared and instead of it a nauseous feeling in her stomach had appeared. She poked her food with her fork and after sighing loudly she followed Sam upstairs. Hesitant she took a deep breath and knocked lightly on his door. He didn't answer so Santana peeked slowly inside and saw Sam sitting on his bed leaning against the headboard playing electric guitar with his Beats on. Sam's room was so much more different than Santana's. His walls were painted in light colors. It was the exact opposite from Santana's dark room. Sam had even an aquarium in his room. He always said that it was calming him down and Santana had caught him more than once sitting in front of it and just staring at the fish in the tank. She entered the room fully and joined Sam on the bed. The moment he felt the bed dip beside him he took his headphones off and stared at his sister. She just kept staring ahead and after some time he turned around again and continued playing his guitar without his headphones. _

"_I'm sorry." Santana broke the silence and looked at Sam. "I'm sorry I am the way I am and I'm sorry that I made you feel this way. I trust you Sam I trust you with my life. But you should know that my parents are a topic I don't want to talk about because I am afraid what will happen after I say what I feel. And you are right I am really scared of Abuela's reaction because I don't know how I will bear another loss in this family." It was the first time Santana had admitted such a thing and Sam realized how broken and scared Santana really was on the inside. Suddenly he felt guilty for pushing Santana but at least she talked about it. Sam put his guitar aside and threw an arm around Santana's shoulders pulling her closer. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and waited for her to continue. "I love you Sam you are my brother and I hate making you feel this way. Brittany is my girlfriend and I trust her, too but there are some things I rather tell her than you and vice versa but that doesn't mean that I trust you any less. With her it's just different but so it is with you. But if it is so important to you I will talk to you more about my feelings but not about my parents because I am still not ready for that." _

"_I understand and whenever you are going to be ready for that I will be here. Just don't let it destroy you because I will not watch if that's going to happen. And I love you, too." Santana put her arms around Sam's torso hugging him and placed a kiss on his cheek. 'Best. Brother. Ever.' She thought. Right then her phone went off indicating that she had a new message. Looking on the screen she saw that it was a message from Blaine. She prepared herself mentally for what come and opened the message revealing a picture of Blaine frowning with his hair sticking out in every direction. _

_To Santana:_

'_Where's my hair gel?!' _

_Santana would have never imagined Blaine to look so messy when his hair wasn't gelled so it was not surprising when she burst out into loud laughter earning a confused look from Sam. She showed him the picture and Sam started laughing, too._

_To Blaine:_

_I love it :) _

"_Why is he sending you this picture?" Sam asked after he managed to stop laughing._

"_Let's just say that he owed me." Santana smiled. "Now let's go we have to leave."_

* * *

"_Santana, honey would you please stop pacing and just relax? We took off like five minutes ago and you are already freaking out. Here take a sip." Holly stood up handing Santana her glass of juice and pushed her into her seat. Santana sighed and took a sip from it scrunching up her nose. There was alcohol in it. Holly normally never allowed them to drink but she already knew that Santana and Sam had their fair share of drunken nights and better accepting alcohol from Holly than anyone else. And it wasn't like she was making the kids drunk. She just knew that Santana was very vulnerable right now and a sip would maybe relax her a little. But she always made sure to explain them that alcohol was not a solution and for once she could just be an irresponsible adult who let Santana take a swig of her juice with vodka. _

"_Is there alcohol in it?" Santana asked and took another sip. _

"_Yeah, I asked the flying attendant." She looked past Santana and smiled sweetly at the brunette man standing at the entrance of the private jet. Her father used to use it when he was flying from state to state to prepare some seminars or operate people. This was the jet which used to keep Santana's parents away from her and after her parents died she realized how handy it really came. And the pilot was still the same. Given the fact that Santana's father used to trust him so much Holly figured to keep him. _

"_Did you just flirt with him?" Sam raised his eyebrow taking the glass from Santana and took a swig as well. _

"_What? Are you two the only ones who are allowed to flirt? Besides he's handsome and Sam enough with the drink now. I can't believe I just gave you two vodka." She took the glass back and downed the rest of the drink. "And I am nervous too, I needed some alcohol." Holly sighed and relaxed back into her seat. Santana tried to calm down, too but it was harder than she thought. With every mile the jet was flying California was getting closer and closer and her nervousness in the morning was now stronger. _

_She couldn't sit still and somehow she was always doing something. Either it was trying to get comfortable on her seat or fidgeting with her fingers and neither helped her to calm down. That was until Sam handed her a pair of earphones indicating her to put them into her ears. She obliged just wanting to have something that would distract her and when classic piano melodies started playing she found her peace eventually. He always knew her so well and listening to classic music calmed her down. At least that was most of the time. Sam was holding her hand squeezing it sometimes when he sensed that Santana was about to get all fussy again. The flight didn't take long. Not even a whole hour and when they stepped out of the jet Santana knew that they were only a car ride apart from her Abuela's house. To her luck private jets only landed on private airports so she didn't need to be worried about paparazzi and it didn't take them as long as it usually did to get into their cab which was already waiting to bring them into Santana's personal hell for today._

* * *

_Alma's house was still looking the same. It was still this cute little cream colored house with the wooden porch in front of it and the huge lawn where a big oak tree was standing since Santana could remember. There was still the tire hanging from the tree where she used to swing when she was little giggling and pleading her Abuela to push her higher till she reached the sky. At Christmas she had always pleaded to decorate the tree because she didn't want it to be the only tree without lights. It didn't matter that it wasn't an actual Christmas tree Santana just wanted to see it glow. Her abuela always obliged and together they managed to wrap some lights around the thick tree trunk. There were still the uncountable rose bushes which Santana once managed to break and the moment Santana set foot on the soil of her grandma's ground all the memories started floating through her mind. She knew that that's what it was going to be after they left this house again. Distant memories that used to be happy until this day. Sam squeezed her hand again before letting it go and giving Santana her back pack. Holly paid the cab driver and then the front door opened revealing Alma Lopez with a huge smile plastered on her face. 'Enjoy it for as long as it lasts' Santana thought to herself and managed to put a nervous smile on her face. Alma was still looking the same. She was still the short woman with the short red hair. Just a few creases were added since Santana had seen her the last time. But it was normal since she was not getting any younger._

"_Santana, my dear." The older woman shouted her thick Spanish accent evident in her voice and walked over to her granddaughter pulling her into a tight hug. Santana buried her face into the crook of her grandmother's neck taking in the familiar scent. Maybe for the last time. _

"_Hey, Abuela." She managed to say between breaths. _

"_Samuel, come here mi hijo. Cómo está?" she pulled him as well into a hug. "You grew since the last time I saw you. Look at you such a handsome man. And you cut your hair."_

"_Thank you, grandma." He gave his typical Sam smile and pulled away to give Holly some space to hug her best friend's mom. Abuela was as thrilled to greet her as she was with Santana and Sam minutes before. She didn't let anyone speak because she was rambling all the time and that made Santana feel a bit at ease. Her Abuela behaved as always and for a moment she really doubted her decision but there was no turning back now. When they entered the house the smell of food invaded their senses. It was familiar and Santana felt herself relax even more. Sam had as always a huge appetite and the moment he took a seat at the table he started digging into his food as if he was starved for weeks. Santana had taken a picture with Sam's mouth full of food and his head bent over his plate and tweeted it with the caption 'I think Sam's pregnant' in order to distract herself. She on the other hand didn't touch her food. She poked it with her fork not really feeling like eating, although her Abuela's food was always the best. Sometimes she managed to take some small bites to please her grandma but in general dinner was really awkward for her. She had a huge lump in her throat which made it difficult for her to swallow food. Gladly Sam and Holly were there to talk for her with her grandma. Even when Sam was always distracted by the amounts of food he was stuffing into his mouth. _

"_Santana, you're all bones. Eat something." Her Abuela's voice rang through her ears making her look up. She swallowed hard trying to get some composure. _

"_I am not really hungry but it is delicious. Gracias." _

"_How's work? You are now at a public school. How is Lima treating you?" Santana had to smile at the fact that back in Lima she had a beautiful girlfriend who was as anxious about her outing as Santana herself. _

"_Work is great. I am working on my new album now and in December my first single is going to be released and we are invited to a movie premiere so pretty good in general. Lima is good. Better than I thought. It's not LA though. But there are a few things I got really attached to." She admitted hoping that her Abuela wouldn't continue discussing it because Santana was sure that right now was not the right time to get out of the closet. Holly and Sam looked at her with wide eyes. But Santana shook her head indicating them that she was not going to do it. At least not yet. She lifted her glass up to her lips and took a generous sip from her water_

"_So are you planning to settle down eventually? You need to find a man and marry someday and have some children." Santana who was still drinking almost chocked. She tried to breathe again normally but all she managed to do was cough her lung out. Sam patted her back and Holly looked at her indicating her that now was the right time. It was now or never._

"_Actually Abuela… maybe I will do it if it is legal." Santana started slowly when she was finally able to breathe again. Alma looked at her granddaughter questioningly._

"_Santana are you talking again this ghetto thing you are always telling me about? Because I don't understand a word you're saying." _

"_No, this was actually normal English. I am not allowed to marry."_

"_Santana stop saying this garbage. Why wouldn't you be allowed to marry? Everyone's allowed to marry." _

"_Good I will remind you after I tell you this. Mmmh I am allowed to marry just in six of fifty states because not everyone's approving of these kinds of marriages." Santana studied her Abuela's face. She saw nothing but confusion in it and sighed. She wished this was easier. Holly put her hand on Santana's tight squeezing it and nodding that it was alright. Santana took a deep breath before continuing. "I… um… love girls. And I have a girlfriend and I really like her." Silverware dropped onto the ground as well as Alma's jaw. She had her fist clenched on the table and looked tensed, angry… disgusted? "At first I really tried to ignore the feeling but I didn't want to fight anymore. Being myself shouldn't be neither a problem nor hard. Abuela I'm a lesbian and-"_

"_Stop talking." Alma spat through gritted teeth. "Stop talking!" She repeated louder. "I can't believe what I am hearing here. I am ashamed. This is just a phase, Santana. It is going to pass."_

"_It's not." Santana felt tears swelling behind her eyes but she tried so hard to not let anyone see how hurt and disappointed she really was. "It's not." She repeated as if it would change her Abuela's opinion. She knew that this would happen but it didn't make it hurt any less because when she made this decision there was a small part of her who was hopeful that her Abuela would be accepting. _

"_People like you are going to end up in hell."_

"_What happened to 'everyone's allowed to marry'?" Santana asked weakly not daring to look at her Abuela. _

"_Yeah but not people like you. That's not human. This is unnatural and disgusting. You disgust me, Santana." This was the first time someone had made Santana feel ashamed and disgusted of herself. She felt bad. She wanted to leave and forget what was happening. Maybe if she tried hard enough she could convince Alma that everything was just a stupid joke and Ashton Kutcher was going to jump out of somewhere screaming 'You just got punk'd'. But unfortunately this was bitter reality and that was what made it so much more difficult._

"_Enough now." Holly shouted and slammed her fist onto the table while standing up. "Where's your respect, Alma? This is your granddaughter here. Your behavior is unacceptable. There is nothing wrong with her. There is something wrong with you if you can't accept the fact that Santana is in love with a girl. I know her girlfriend. She is so sweet and sincere. I haven't seen Santana this happy since Maribel and Ric died. She is giving Santana the normality which was lacking from her life. You can't just shut her out. She needs you. She is going to break if she loses you. Alma, she is still a child she needs us now more than ever and you are shutting her out of the family? You should be ashamed of yourself and not of Santana. If you really love her it shouldn't matter which gender she chooses to love. Wait, no this is the thing. She can't fucking choose it. This is who she is. You can't condemn her for being herself. You can't condemn her for being in love." _

"_You are speaking about respect? You are here in my house and you are not going to speak this way to me. If this is the choice she made then I am not going to stop her. She is the one living in sin. And if she doesn't change she is not welcome here anymore. And you two." She pointed at Sam and Holly. "If you are supporting this lifestyle you're not welcome here either. I want you to leave this house. Tomorrow when I wake up I want you to be gone and never come back." Alma said coldly and stood up making her way upstairs._

* * *

'I want you to be gone.' Santana's face turned into a pained expression. It stung. She felt devastated. She was mad at her grandmother for having such a bigoted mind. 'And never come back'. Why couldn't everybody be as accepting as Brittany's family or her own? It hurt that it mattered for her Abuela which gender she chose to love. It shouldn't matter if her Abuela loved her. But obviously she didn't love her enough to accept the fact that she was different. It shouldn't matter, should it?

Santana looked at the water. She hit the surface and screamed causing water to splash around. An ear-piercing scream echoed through the indoor pool hall. "Fuck you, Abuela!" She screamed before her scream turned into to desperate sobbing. "Fuck you, Abuela." She repeated this time in a whisper. Wiping her tears she dived in again swimming her way to the other side of the pool.

* * *

"_I can't fucking believe this is happening." Holly was in rage while she gathered all their things at the door. Santana hadn't said a word since her Abuela had left and Holly was starting to get worried. She didn't even cry. Nothing came out of her. She was looking as if every emotion was drowned out of her. Her lips were pressed into a thin line. This was not good. The only thing that was indicating that Santana was showing any emotion were her clenched fists and although it wasn't much it managed to calm Holly at least a bit. Sam was helping Santana to get into her coat. Softly her grabbed her wrist and pulled her tensed body outside with him while Holly was following with their bags. The drive to the airport was silent. So was the flight back to Lima. Santana continued keeping silent and Holly was afraid that this was going to have a really negative effect for Santana. Maybe it was time to contact a counselor? Honestly she had thought about it a lot of times but she never really had the courage to do it. She was too afraid of what was going to come out eventually after Santana went to the appointments. Then Brittany came into the picture and Holly believed that this was a step forward for Santana… for their family. But now Abuela had managed with one conversation to drag Santana further back. This was not good and Holly was not going to watch how Santana fell to pieces. This time she wasn't going to keep quiet. She looked at Sam who was looking as worried as her. He had pulled his sister against his chest protectively but Santana was showing no reaction. Back in Lima Santana had just disappeared the moment they entered the house and Sam and Holly had left her the freedom to pull herself together before the talk which everyone knew would happen eventually. Exhausted Holly grabbed her laptop and sat at the kitchen island and started searching for counselors._

"_Do you think you can pick up Brittany? I saw Santana's phone going off a few times and I think she is really worried. Besides she could help Santana. I know it's late but right now I don't care. We need to do something, Sam. She is falling to pieces." Holly squeezed her eyes shut when she felt a few tears making her way down her cheeks. Sam wrapped her arms around her. He was the only one who was trying to be calm for the sake of both, Santana and Holly. He was the man in this household and he needed to show them that he could be strong for all of them although on the inside it was ripping his heart apart as much as Holly's. _

"_Don't worry. I'm calling her and I will pick her up."_

"_Thank you." _

"_I think there's nothing I wouldn't do for this family." He said before heading out._

* * *

"Santana?" Brittany ran worried into the pool hall. "Santana." She breathed out when she saw Santana sitting on the bottom of the pool. Her heart stopped when she saw raven hair floating around. For a moment she thought that Santana was ending everything and ran over to the edge of the pool and pulled Santana up to the surface. She couldn't describe her relief when she saw Santana's red, puffy eyes gazing up at her. This situation was really awful but Santana was not so pathetic to end her life. She knew that there were teenagers out there who did this but she would make change and not do it.

"Britt." She whispered.

"Baby, I'm here." She pulled Santana out of the water and wrapped her into a towel. She pulled Santana against her chest and started rocking her back and forth as she felt Santana's body tremble. Sobs were escaping and Brittany was feeling relieved. Sam and Holly had told her about Santana's zombie state. Of course Brittany's heart was clenching seeing Santana so weak and vulnerable but it was so much better than seeing her without emotions. "Shhh baby, I'm here." She repeated and kissed the top of Santana's head softly. Her clothes had gotten wet but Brittany couldn't care less. All she could care about was at somehow bringing Santana to move on and start being happy again. Some tears had managed spill over and she wished that she could just take Santana's pain away and make her feel loved.

"She d-doesn't l-love me." Santana said between sobs.

"Baby, she loves you. She will get used to it eventually. She is your grandma. Everything's going to be fine." Brittany reassured her but saying things and believing them, were two different things and right now Brittany was only saying them. "You still have Sam and Holly. You have me and Quinn. My mom and my dad are here, too. You have your fans. Do you see how many people care about you? Don't let your grandma make you feel bad about yourself. There are people who love you just the way you are and that is never going to change. You hear me? Never."

"She doesn't love me." Santana repeated again and Brittany realized that it was useless to talk to Santana in this state so she pulled her tighter against her and let her cry till she hadn't any tears left. But she never showed Santana that she was crying as well. "Are you done with crying now?" Brittany asked after Santana's trembling had died down. Santana nodded as a response. "Good because we've been sitting here for a while and it's pretty late. And I can't see you crying anymore. It is devastating." Santana smiled a little. "Hey, is this a smile?" Brittany cupped Santana's cheeks and nuzzled their noses against each other. "Let's get some sleep, okay?"

"Yeah." Brittany helped Santana up and after a really quick shower Santana climbed onto bed next to Brittany and looked at her girlfriend. "Thank you."

"I really didn't do anything. You should thank Sam and Holly who called me to come."

"You are here and that's more than I could ever ask for."

"Of course, baby. There's no place I would rather be right now. Anything for you as long as you're happy." Brittany smiled lovingly and leaned forward to leave a sweet kiss onto her girlfriend's lips. Santana's hurt washed away and she cuddled into Brittany. And as soon as Brittany wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's torso Santana's eyes closed and she fell asleep. It was not peacefully but at least she was getting some silence and a break from reality. Brittany could still see the creases on Santana's forehead and kissed it softly. "I'll always be here." She whispered before following Santana into sleep. It was going to be okay… eventually.

* * *

**A/N Thank you for all your reviews :) I hope this chapter wasn't too depressing. Thanks Lex for correcting my chapter. Let me know what you think. Either here or on my tumblr: kissinglips95. tumblr. com **


	15. Chapter 15: Mess

**Chapter 15: Mess**

* * *

When Holly first made that call she was nervous as hell. She was afraid and somehow paranoid that it would come out. After all, everything came out eventually. But this time it was important to keep things private for Santana's sake. Her hands were clasped together nervously while she looked around the waiting room and sitting in a comfortable leather armchair in front of Dr. Swan's office. She still didn't know if it was a good idea what she had in mind or if it was going to be a good decision but she knew that if something didn't happen soon Santana would be destroyed. She would lose hope in everything. She would shut out everyone. Her family, her friends, her girlfriend, and Holly had to prevent that. Not that Santana hadn't started. Since the visit, Santana didn't speak much. She was hesitant in everything she was saying when she was talking and she hadn't eaten much the last days until Sam had forced her. Holly had even noticed that Santana was hesitant towards Brittany and if that happened then it had to be serious. Santana was already starting to do exactly that what she did after her parents died. It was a phase but Holly wouldn't risk the situation getting worse.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and decided that contacting a therapist had already happened too late. She should've contacted a therapist seven years ago when Santana's attitude had gotten worse after her parent's death. She should have noticed that Santana ignoring the topic was not a healthy reaction nor was it a healthy way to deal with problems. She should've noticed that Santana was hurting inside. She had known Santana since she was born and she knew that she had these walls to hide her feelings and thoughts. Behind those walls Santana was just a scared girl who needed affection and someone who cared. Someone who reassured her that life was moving on and that you could trust people. It was her way to deal with things but Santana didn't know that it was the wrong way and now that's how it ended.

Confrontation was not the best way to get Santana talk about her feelings because when she felt cornered she got defensive and every time she got defensive she started saying hurtful things that she didn't mean. But on the other side there weren't any other possibilities to get Santana to talk about her feelings so Holly had no other choice than do that what Santana hated the most. And that's when she decided that it was the right decision. It had to be if she was willing to pay a huge amount of money for Santana's wellbeing. Dr. Swan was one of the best therapists in L.A. and maybe Holly should have told Santana what her plan was when they drove to the private airport and sat for the second time in their jet in a time frame of a few days.

"Calm down, Holly." Sam suddenly reappeared from the restrooms and took a seat next to Holly. He placed his arms around her shoulders in order to calm her down. Holly could smell the soap scent from his washed hands and this mixed with her anxiety made her nauseous. She pinched the bridge of her nose and took a shaky breath. Fidgeting in her seat she ran her hand through her hair and turned towards Sam.

"She is going to be mad, isn't she? Oh god I should've warned her. Or maybe I should have taken her to a therapist seven years ago when it started."

"She hasn't even been in the room for five minutes. We'll see how it went after she comes out okay? Calm down."

"Oh my god. I think it was a bad idea. I should've asked her before I decided to call a therapist."

"Holly." Sam said softly and pulled her to his chest. "You did nothing wrong. It was the right decision. Santana would have never agreed to this if you told her. She needs to speak to someone who isn't involved in everything. She is going to be okay." He mumbled into Holly's hair. "She is going to be okay."

* * *

Santana studied the woman in front of her. She was young. Maybe twenty seven? She had long brown hair and bright, green, button eyes. It was a nice combination but that wasn't that made Santana look at her. Maybe it was the way she was sitting. She was sitting relaxed in her armchair one leg over the other and a notebook placed in her lap. Maybe it was the way Dr. Swan was looking at her and studied her maybe trying to read Santana like an open book. It was not the way a therapist would look at a patient. It was more the way friends would look at each other.

Santana wanted to maybe be friendly back at her but she couldn't. This woman was a stranger and she didn't know why she should open up to her. She was tense and guarded and definitely not ready to tell a complete stranger her life story. It was a surprise when Holly brought her here but maybe this was a good opportunity to just let go of everything. But on the other side, could she really trust her? Santana averted her eyes from Dr. Swan and looked around trying to feel comfortable. It wasn't that the room wasn't cozy it was the fact that the place was unfamiliar. Tilting her head to the side Santana looked back at Dr. Swan waiting for her to start speaking.

"How are you Santana?" She started eventually. Santana shrugged in response not really knowing how she was.

"That's none of your business. I don't even know why I am here. I'm fine and I don't need you or anyone for that matter." She snapped at the therapist out of nowhere surprising herself. But apparently not the therapist. She just kept sitting calmly in her armchair looking at Santana emotionless as if she expected Santana to snap at her. Santana tried to hold the therapist's gaze but eventually it got too much and she stood up walking around the office. She looked at all the framed diplomas which were hanging next to the entrance.

"They are all real. I promise." Dr. Swan said while she kept watching Santana's actions.

"Could have fooled me." Santana snapped again and turned around to face her therapist. "Look lady, I don't know what the hell I am doing here and let's get something straight. I don't wanna be here and I certainly don't have the whole day so what is going to take for you to tell Holly whatever the fuck she wants to hear and stop worrying about nothing." Santana eyed the doctor who still looked like Santana wasn't all bitchy. She was calm and collected and it was getting on Santana's nerves. Everyone would have been angry or offended by now.

"What do you think Holly wants to hear?"

"Are you even listening to me? I just said that I don't want to talk to a stranger."

"Then let's get to know each other so we won't be stranger anymore." Dr. Swan motioned at the couch in front of her for Santana to take a seat. With a sigh Santana eventually gave in and sat down.

"You're not even doing your job right. Aren't you supposed to ask me about my deepest secrets and shit?"

"And if I did ask you would you answer honestly?"

"No, hell no. I barely talk to my family about this shit and you expect me to talk to you? Someone who I met not even fifteen minutes ago?"

"Well that is true. But if you don't talk to your family then who do you turn to?" A smile crept on Santana's features involuntarily and even after the answer came out she didn't even realize what she had said. It was sort of a reflex and Santana wanted to slap herself mentally for saying it.

"Brittany."

"Ohh and who is that?"

"She is a… friend." Santana replied nervously, not making eye contact, too worried that the doctor might suspect something.

"A close friend?"

"Yeah, she is awesome…"

"And why do you find it easier to talk to Brittany than to your own family?"

"Again with the weird questions lady, really?" Santana started getting defensive again. She had already let too many things to slip out.

"Okay, then tell me something about Brittany. What is she like?" Santana didn't want to give too much info so she just said the first thing that came into her mind. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to mention Brittany after all. She couldn't control her emotions when Brittany came into the picture. That was one of the effects Brittany had on Santana and as much as Santana loved it she hated it right now. She felt her walls crumble slowly while thinking and talking about Brittany. And Dr. Swan noticed that starting to talk about Brittany brought Santana to opening up a little.

"She is a dancer."

"A good one?" Dr. Swan continued her questioning.

"Puh-lease anything my girlfriend does is good." And there was the thing she didn't want to come out just did. Her eyes widened and she clasped her hands over her mouth as if that would make it unsaid. Santana watched as Dr. Swan smiled a little before she scribbled something down on her notepad. She was feeling that she was getting somewhere with Santana although the younger girl was still rather defensive. She knew that this was just a defense mechanism and Santana was not the first patient with this attitude. Santana looked nervously at her therapist. "Wha-what are you writing?" She asked.

"Just some notes for myself. Don't worry about it." She smiled reassuringly making Santana even angrier.

"Yeah I will worry about it because next thing you know is that it's on the front page of every tabloid there is out there." Santana replied harshly. She was mad at herself for being so stupid.

"I would ne-"

"Yeah, that's what they all say. We're done here."

* * *

The door opened forcefully revealing a very angry Santana Lopez. Sam and Holly shot up to their feet watching as Santana stormed out of the office and out of the building. Holly looked at Dr. Swan who was now standing at the doorway looking at the exit where Santana disappeared seconds ago. She averted her gaze from the door and looked at Holly.

"If it's possible I would like to see her again."

"I'll try but I can't guarantee you anything. But thank you anyway, Dr. Swan." Holly shook the therapist's hand and after a quick farewell her and Sam escaped the building. Santana was standing in front of the building giving a few autographs and taking pictures with fans. Sam could look right through her that she was pissed as fuck and she only did this because she couldn't afford being rude.

The fact that Santana was being watched everywhere she went was pressuring her a lot. He shook his head sadly and managed to free Santana from the small crowd. Back in the private jet Santana was silent but everyone could sense her anger. She was practically fuming. But neither knew that Santana was not mad at Holly for sending her to a therapist but mad at herself for telling Dr. Swan about Brittany being her girlfriend so easily.

If she was honest she was a bit glad about it because it was nice to be able to open up to someone who would just sit and listen without judging even though they were being paid. And maybe if Santana wasn't famous and so paranoid it would have been easier to open up to Dr. Swan. She was nice and the good thing was that she was letting Santana open up at her own pace. And then finally it hit Santana.

She should start preparing herself mentally for the huge bomb that would drop tomorrow. All the front pages with her picture on it and written on it in thick letters 'Santana Lopez is a lesbian' shocking not only people in America but also all over the world. 'Santana Lopez is a lesbian'. She would learn this sentence in all the languages it would be published. Shelby would make several calls to do damage control but it wouldn't matter. She prepared herself for all the hate letters that would appear in her PO box. She hadn't checked her fan mail in a long time and maybe she should just read them before the hate mail would arrive. Maybe she should write a song like Jill Scott's 'Hate On Me' telling everyone that she didn't give a fuck although in reality it was excruciating. She would lose all her fans, she could say goodbye to her career.

"Santana." Holly started slowly pulling Santana out of her thoughts.

"Don't." Santana raised her hand in order to stop Holly. "Don't 'Santana' me! I can't believe you sent me to a fucking therapist."

"It was just for your best and if you don't want to go again to Dr. Swan I won't force you." Holly looked down at her hands guiltily.

"If you don't want to go to Dr. Swan again then you will come to glee club with me." Santana shot her brother a disapproving look but he stopped her from discussing the topic. "I don't care Santana what you say. If you don't want to talk about it then you're gonna sing about your feelings and glee club is the perfect way to do so. I am not discussing it. Tomorrow you'll come with me end of story." Santana crossed her arms in front of her chest and mumbled a 'fine' before she took her phone and started listening to music to prevent anyone from talking to her again.

Holly looked sadly out of the window. To be honest she wasn't feeling very well after visiting Alma. She was worried all the time that Santana would do something stupid, plus she had a stack of tests lying on her desk that needed to be corrected and that was increasing her stress. She just wanted to relax a little, take some time with her family to make everything better, to ease the tension. Taking care of Sam and Santana was keeping her so busy that she hadn't had time for herself in a long while. Maybe she should take a weekend off and just relax, read a book, maybe get a massage. She sighed and leaned back in her seat. Sam shot her a questioning look.

"You okay? You look a bit pale."

"I'm fine. Just tired and a bit stressed. I need some sleep and I will be fine." Sam nodded and didn't question it further. As it turned out he was the destined driver when they landed in Ohio. Santana was moody and Holly had fallen asleep, but he didn't mind as it gave him something to do. He let the radio play silently in the background not to disturb Holly or Santana and the drive back home went by faster. He shook Holly awake and she mumbled something and got out of the car followed by Santana. Once inside Holly grabbed Santana's wrist before she could disappear in her room like she always did when she was mad.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

"I know. I'm sorry I freaked out that much but it was my fault because I was stupid." Santana mumbled as Holly pulled her into a hug.

"You're not stupid honey. You just have your moments. We all do."

"Do you mind if I spend the night at Britt's?"

"No just remember you have school tomorrow. Take your things with you."

"Will do. See you tomorrow." Santana pulled away and went upstairs.

* * *

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Brittany looked up from her desk when she saw Santana standing at her door way.

"You're mom let me in." Santana mumbled looking down shyly and let her big back drop onto the ground next to her.

"You're gonna stay the night." Brittany stated more than asking.

"If it's okay."

"More than okay." Santana looked up and saw Brittany's beaming smile. It was this beaming, white smile that whenever you saw it you thought that the sun was rising. It was this smile that caused Santana's knees to turn to Jell-O every time she saw it. Brittany's eyes were sparkling like thousands of diamonds and Santana smiled back feeling herself relax again. She thought that Brittany would be mad at her for being so distant and ignorant for the last few days. There was no affection besides a kiss on the cheek or a quick, awkward hug and to be honest both girls missed the touches and the kisses and even simple things like the late night conversations on the phone. "C'mere." Brittany extended her hand and Santana walked over to her girlfriend taking her hand. "I missed you." Brittany said while pulling Santana onto her lap. She wrapped her arms around Santana's waist and pressed a kiss on Santana's shoulder.

"I missed you, too. I'm sorry that I've been so distant lately."

"I understand that you needed some time after the whole thing with your Abuela but I would've preferred it if you'd rather talked to me than just shutting me out"

"I know and I am really thankful that you understand." Santana wrapped her arms around Brittany's neck end pulled her closer kissing the top of her head softly. "Lay down with me." She whispered into soft, blonde hair and stood up pulling Brittany with her. The girls lied down on the cushions as close together as possible facing each other.

Santana took Brittany's hand in hers and bringing it up to her lips she placed another kiss on each of Brittany's knuckles. Brittany watched her girlfriend softly, her body going crazy with every of Santana's kisses and touches. Her heart was beating faster she could hear the pounding in her ears and she was sure Santana could too. And she also knew that she was having the same effect on Santana and that made everything even better.

She had missed Santana but she realized how much the moment Santana was close to her and kissing her. Chocolate eyes locked with sparkling blue eyes. "Holly sent me to a therapist today." Santana whispered. Brittany's eyes widened her expression questioning and surprised. "She wanted me to talk to someone about everything in my life. It wasn't that bad but it is weird having to tell a complete stranger things about myself. I didn't want to talk to her or to anyone for that matter. She asked me to whom I would go to if I needed to talk." Santana brushed some golden locks from Brittany's face and stroked her cheek softly. "You." It was a whisper. "I told her I would talk to you. Then she asked me to tell her something about you. I told her that you are a dancer. She wanted to know if you were a good one. My answer was that everything my girlfriend does is good."

Brittany's features softened even more a smile creeping on her face but she heard the scared undertone in Santana's voice. She was surprised in the first place that Santana told a stranger that Brittany was her girlfriend but she sensed that something was wrong with the way Santana was retelling everything. Brittany took Santana's hand that was still caressing her cheek and brought it up to her lips.

"What's wrong?" She mumbled against Santana's palm.

"I'm scared that she is going to sell the story. Everything will come out eventually. I can say goodbye to my career my fans are going to hate me. It slipped because I wasn't careful." Brittany scooted even closer and rested her forehead against Santana's forcing her to look at her. Santana could feel Brittany's breath against her lips and she wanted nothing more than closing the gap between them but she knew that now wasn't the time. Not when they had a serious conversation.

"There is a law against that. She can't tell anyone or else she will lose her license. Besides your fans are not going to hate you. Stacey is your fan. Holly, Sam, Blaine, Quinn and I are your fans. There are plenty of gays who would still be your fans and I am sure straight people, too. Stop worrying. Tomorrow we are going to go to school as if nothing happened. We are still going to hide our relationship and we are still going to sneak kisses in the auditorium during our lunch break." Brittany smiled and leaned back to get a better look on Santana's face. "And you will go to the therapist again." Santana's features hardened and she sat up looking down at the still lying Brittany. She was not mad per say but she was against the idea.

"Wh-what? Why?"

"Because this thing with your parents has been on your mind for years now. You just need to talk about it and if you want me to, I will come with you. Just please do it for you. Not for me or for anyone else. Just for you. I really care about you and I think it is my job to remind you to take care of yourself when you lose your path. I will not watch you how you go down with your memories. That is going to hurt too many people. Me included."

Brittany sat up and looked directly into Santana's eyes. She wanted to make sure that Santana understood that she was a vulnerable topic. That Brittany cared about her and that there was nothing wrong with seeking help. But most importantly she wanted to show Santana that she would always be there standing behind Santana supporting her whenever she needed to.

"I'll do it."

"I'm proud of you." Brittany said and pulled Santana into a tight hug.

"And also Sam made me join glee club."

"Really?" Brittany pushed Santana back so that she could see her. Santana nodded smiling at her girlfriend's reaction. "So we're gonna be sitting together, sing songs and dance? We're seriously going to walk in together and that means I get to have even more time with you?" Santana started laughing.

"Yeah silly."

"Awesome." Brittany pulled Santana back into the hug and when she calmed down again Santana pulled back slowly.

"Kiss me." She breathed out and in an instant Brittany's soft lips were on hers. She cupped Brittany's cheeks wanting more contact. Brittany climbed slowly over Santana pushing her back gently so that she was lying on top of Santana. "I missed you so much." Santana mumbled against Brittany's lips and the only response she got was a smile as they continued with slow, sensual kisses making both girls dizzy. It was gentle as they caressed each other's lips making up for lost time.

"As much as I want to continue making out with you I can't promise you to keep my hands to myself. Let's get changed. I'm planning to cuddle the shit outta you tonight." Brittany smiled down at Santana after pulling away.

"Are you?" Santana asked playfully.

"Yes." Brittany replied and with a last peck she rolled happily off the bed.

* * *

The next day Santana and Brittany were very touchy feely. Even more than usual. It was like the night before made their bond even stronger and increasing their feelings for each other. Their pinkies were locked tightly as ever and when they entered the choir room the rest of the members were sitting together having a jam session. Sam and Puck were playing the guitar and Finn was playing drums while everyone else where singing and dancing. Santana was still a bit worried about Dr. Swan but Brittany reassured her that nothing would happen and Santana believed Brittany.

"Look who I brought." Brittany announced pulling Santana further into the room with a big smile on her face. Sam and Quinn were the first ones approaching the girls and both hugged them. Sam pressed his usual kiss onto Santana's forehead. Blaine was the next one. He was also the one who smiled the most and that was shown in his hug when he squeezed the crap out of Santana.

The rest of the members were still hesitant towards Santana since she was famous and no one wanted to do something wrong. Except from Rachel. She walked determined over to Santana and started rambling about something. Maybe Broadway but most likely herself. Santana didn't pay attention though- she really didn't want to- but as always Sam was there to help her.

He gave her a guitar inviting her to join the jam session which Santana happily accepted. She hadn't imagined glee club being so… great. While she was sitting on a chair she looked around. Everyone was having fun and they accepted you no matter what. Brittany was always there by her side smiling at her or her one arm draped over Santana's back. Santana didn't seem to have a problem with it and Brittany liked to see that her girlfriend seemed comfortable. And no one seemed to question Brittany and Santana's friendship.

When Mr. Shuester came in and saw the kids jamming with Santana he was positively surprised. Sam had joined and he never thought that Santana would come finally but obviously Sam had managed to bring Santana to glee club. It was a great addition to their group and he was sure that with Sam and Santana in glee club they could do some really productive things.

The only one who had a tiny problem though was Rachel. Santana was famous and therefore a threat for her. He sensed that there would be problems between the two girls but he would deal with that when it was time. And if he was lucky enough glee club would get more members after having Santana and Sam there. Glee club was about to get great and he would make sure to thank both stars for that.

* * *

Santana entered Holly's office with much hesitance. Her god mother was sitting at her desk correcting some tests and although Holly didn't look up Santana could see that she was exhausted.

"Hey." She said softly putting a cup of tea in front of Holly. "I made you tea. It's your favorite." Holly looked up at her smiling weakly and brought the cup up to her lips. Dark bags had formed under her eyes making her look older. And for the first time in her life Santana was feeling really terrible knowing that she was one of the reasons behind Holly's exhaustion.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. You should take some days off. You are pale and you need to relax a little. How are you feeling?" Santana asked concerned as she continued eyeing Holly's features.

"Exhausted but I am fine. I need some sleep and everything is going to be alright." Her smile was weak and it didn't manage to calm Santana. On the contrary it made her even more anxious and concerned. She stood up and took the pen from Holly's hand. She had meant to tell her about continuing to see Dr. Swan but Holly's wellbeing was more important now and they could discuss it during dinner or another time.

Slowly she wanted to start making things right and getting rid of the past was a good start. It was for her and for the sake of her family. It was time to be happy again and move on. What mattered were the things now and she was going to enjoy them without having to feel guilty about her parents or her Abuela. Everyone always made sure that she was feeling alright and Santana was so preoccupied with herself that she hadn't noticed that people around her were hurting, too.

Santana was not a selfish person. When it came to her family she would do anything to keep things in place and if that meant sacrificing her own needs she was willing to do that. And when she said family she meant Holly and Sam because they were the only ones left. Her parents had stopped being parents a long time before their death and her Abuela… Well she didn't love her enough to accept the fact that she was a lesbian. That showed that she was the selfish one and not Santana. Because she had a problem with it and she was not willing to sit down and discuss things with her granddaughter in order to accept and understand everything.

There were so many things that could help Alma but her own pride and belief were obviously more important than the family. Holly had hoped that after the loss of her own daughter and her son in-law Alma would be more accepting. Alma had cried the most during the funeral. She was devastated. She did everything to be near Santana and Holly and after the tragedy they were closer than ever. Long trips to the beach and countless hours of baking cookies and cakes in the kitchen. Although it wasn't the best time for that, those few years were some of Santana's best memories because she was genuinely happy to be able to spend time with her grandma. Holly found it always surprising how wrong she pictured Alma. She always thought of her as an accepting woman with a big heart because that's what she has always been. She was always kind to children and other people around her and that made everything ten times worse for her and Santana.

"You can continue correcting the tests tomorrow. Sam is preparing dinner and I haven't seen you eating properly in days. We're going downstairs." Holly nodded taking her cup with her as she stood up. Santana smiled contently that Holly had agreed and turned around to leave the office. But as soon as she turned around she heard glass shattering causing her to turn around only to see Holly lying on the ground fainted. Everything went in a blur. She hadn't realized what had happened the only thing she had noticed was her faint scream for Sam before she dropped to her knees next to Holly and broke out into tears. She didn't realize when paramedics walked into the office checking on Holly. She didn't realize when they put her onto a stretcher and carried her into the ambulance. All she realized was Sam holding her tight the whole time trying to calm her down, telling her that everything was going to be okay.

Her life was a whole fucking mess.

* * *

**A/N Thank you for all your reviews :) **** Thanks Lex for correcting my chapter. Let me know what you think. Either here or on my tumblr: kissinglips95. tumblr. com**


	16. Chapter 16: The Letter B

**Chapter 16: The Letter B**

* * *

White was a good color. Brides wore white on their wedding day. White was a simple and innocent color. Usually when Santana was looking at something white it reminded her of tidiness, easiness and maybe pureness. Clouds in all their fluffiness were white as they floated in the sky. Snow was white and it made children happy every winter.

Santana liked the color white, but right now she couldn't hate it more. White walls surrounded her as she waited in the hall of Lima's hospital. She was sitting in front of Holly's room on the floor waiting for news. She wasn't waiting a long time but a few minutes seemed like endless hours and all she wanted was just to know if Holly was alright or not.

The white color was making her insane. Holly would hate it, too. Santana looked around at the busy hospital staff. Announcements were made through speakers when a doctor had to be somewhere. The annoying ringing of the phone at the reception was making Santana angrier and more anxious. People who passed were looking at her recognizing that she was indeed the famous Santana Lopez. To her luck Joe was there keeping people away from her because she didn't need anyone bothering her right now. Sometimes her fans didn't recognize when it wasn't the right time to talk to her so Sam had called Joe.

Santana didn't need right now any more stress and pressure than she already had. All she needed was Sam but he went to the cafeteria to get some coffee and something to eat. The only one there was Joe but this was different. He was not close to her. Yes, she trusted him with her safety and her physical wellbeing but she would never start talking to him like she would with Sam, Holly or Brittany. She pulled her phone out of her sweatpants and searched in her contacts till she found Brittany's number. There was a heart next to her name and if she wasn't so worried about Holly she would have smiled. She pressed the call button and after the third ring Brittany answered the phone.

"Hey baby." After hearing Brittany's soothing, cheery voice Santana felt herself relax a bit.

"Britt." She said and Brittany sensed just by hearing Santana's voice that something happened.

"Santana? What happened?"

"Holly." Santana fought against tears that were threatening to spill over. She didn't need anyone seeing her cry. She was sure that Holly's breakdown had already come out and that reporters were on their way to the hospital. Shelby had been alarmed too, and she was on her way. "Holly fainted. We're in the hospital right now."

"Do you want me to come?" Santana didn't even have to ask. Brittany was already shrugging her coat on and rushing down the stairs.

"Yeah."

"I'm on my way, baby. Hold on." And with that both girls hung up. Seconds later Sam appeared with coffee and food. He handed Joe a cup and a sandwich before sitting next to Santana and giving her the things he bought for her.

"Britt's on her way. Do you want to call Quinn?" Santana mumbled after taking a sip of her coffee. It tasted awful but she needed the extra shot of caffeine or she would punch someone or something. She snuggled into Sam's side letting him drape his arm over her shoulders. She could smell the faint scent of his perfume and the typical Sam scent she was used to since they met and let the feeling of safety wash over her. She could hear his heart beating normally comparing it to her own which was beating furiously in her chest. Most of it was from worrying about Holly but maybe it was also because she heard Brittany's voice. But the moment Sam wrapped his arms around her torso securely she felt a wave of calm wash over her.

"I'll call her later. We have to take care of things in school. Tell Mr. Figgins that Holly won't be teaching in a while because of health problems and I was thinking maybe we should pay for a weekend in a spa resort or something. Holly really needs to relax." Sam felt Santana nod against his chest and seconds later she unwrapped her sandwich carefully. She nibbled at it not really feeling like eating and she ended up giving it to Sam anyway. Her worry was killing her appetite and she didn't need to throw up in the middle of the hospital corridor but she continued sipping her coffee until the last drop was sliding down her throat.

"I can't remember the last time Holly did something that wasn't for me or for you. Every decision she makes is based on our opinions. I feel guilty. It is my fault."

"Santana it is not your fault. Holly just needs to relax. She was exhausted and now it is up to us to help her and take as much responsibility as we can. And after Holly's recovery we're gonna help her everywhere we can, okay?"

"Okay." Santana answered and after a moment of silence she spoke up. "I have a new appointment with Dr. Swan."

"Really?" Sam looked down at her.

"Yeah, it's time to get over this shit. I was about to tell Holly my decision when… you know."

"I'm proud of you, you know that? And don't worry. You know Holly is a fighter she will be alright. I don't even think that it is serious. She was exhausted. I caught her more than once ghosting around in the house at night. And she barely ate just like you. The only difference is that I couldn't force her to eat. And now look where we ended up." He waved with his hand around gesturing through the hospital.

Santana sighed defeated and nodded against his chest. She was still freaking out inside. No matter what Sam said or did to calm her she would be edgy till she found out what the hell had happened. If Holly went she would be alone with Sam and she couldn't bear another loss.

She felt hot tears run down her cheeks wetting Sam's shirt and as soon as he felt the moist fabric clutch to his chest and the trembling of Santana's body he pulled her between his legs and tightened his grip around her torso. He rocked her back and forth placing soft kisses on the top of her head as Santana clutched his shirt tightly, sobbing.

Honestly, Sam was as afraid as his sister was and as he saw Santana crying he didn't try to hold back the few tears that managed to spill over. He wiped them away quickly and held onto Santana tightly till her sobs died down. She didn't pull away though and Sam realized that her breathing had evened out. She had fallen asleep. Obviously the caffeine hadn't done its job right. Sam knew that Santana would want him to wake her up but she needed the sleep and Sam wouldn't wake her up even if that meant that she would be mad at him for a short time. "I love you." He whispered and leaned his head back against the wall. He didn't have the courage to fall asleep. He wanted to be awake when Santana woke up and of course in case the doctor came.

He was glad when he saw blonde hair peeking around the corner and after Brittany caught sight of both siblings huddled up on the floor she rushed over to them and dropped onto the ground. Sam brought his pointer up to his lips indicating Brittany that she had to be silent. Brittany bobbed her head and intertwined her hand with Santana's limp one. She felt Santana grip back lightly and she smiled weakly. She sat against the wall like Sam and looked at him.

"How is she?" Brittany asked while stroking the back of Santana's hand not knowing if she meant Holly or Santana - probably both of them. Sam got the hint though.

"We haven't heard anything from Holly. But we've only been here for about thirty minutes. They are checking on her, doing some tests and then we will know what actually is the caused Holly to faint. And Santana…" He looked down at his sleeping sister sighing and after a few seconds he returned his attention to Brittany. "Well Santana here is devastated. She just stopped crying. She is worried as hell. I am too, but I think that she is just exhausted."

"Let's hope that it's the reason." Brittany agreed.

"Hey, you hungry? We have a sandwich left. Or if you want something else tell me and I'll go get it from the cafeteria."

"No but thank you, Sam. You're a good one. I'm glad Quinn has you and not any of those douche-bags at our school." Brittany smiled and hugged Sam with her free arm.

"I'm glad Santana has you. You know she has changed a lot since she met you. For the better." He confessed flashing Brittany a genuine smile. It was the truth though. Before Brittany came into the picture Santana worked as much as she could; besides the hours they spent having private lessons. Either if it was being in the studio almost the whole day or endless interviews and photo shoots. But most of the time Santana spent her time with playing guitar and piano and working out. Sam had really no idea how many hours Santana spent in their own fitness room in a week but he knew for sure that she could do it professionally if it turned out that Santana's career was coming to an end. But that was probably unlikely.

"I just want to make her happy." Brittany said tilting her head in order to rest it on Sam's shoulder.

"You do. Trust me, you do."

* * *

"Where is she?" Shelby came rushing through the corridor of the hospital looking panicked around. As soon as her shrill voice echoed through the halls Santana's eyes shot open. For a moment she panicked. She forgot where she was and until she realized, her heart rate picked up. She felt herself tense up and when Sam's familiar scent reached her nostrils and the busy surrounding of the hospital sunk in, she remembered where she was and shot up from Sam's embrace. She looked around only to see Shelby talking hurriedly to a nurse who gave her some confused looks. She faced Sam again who was watching her concentrated. Stroking her cheek softly he pressed his lips to her forehead. Santana relaxed and closed her eyes until he pulled away.

"Why did you let me sleep?" Santana asked. She was mad but it didn't show in her voice. It was laced with exhaustion and worry.

"You didn't sleep long. Not even fifteen minutes, but maybe Shelby shouldn't talk so loud." Sam chuckled trying to ease the tension coming from Santana. He could feel that she wanted to do something and just sitting around was really difficult for her. Especially when it was someone whom Santana really cared about.

"Brittany's not here." She stated disappointed after looking around the halls.

"She is. She was holding your hand while you were sleeping. She just went to the restroom." Santana nodded and continued looking at Shelby who was now talking louder but besides her voice Santana couldn't make out what exactly she was saying, though judging by the nurse's expression, Shelby was giving her a piece of her mind. Shelby really was tough as nails. Sometimes it could be a pain in the ass but if Shelby wasn't, Santana would have never made it to where she was now. Most of the time though, Santana thought that Shelby would punch the people who didn't do what she wanted but turns out that Shelby had connections and she had her ways of convincing people. Santana didn't know if it was always completely legal but as long as everything was alright with her career she trusted Shelby more than anything.

"Staring is not nice, Santana." Brittany's warm breath on Santana's ear pulled the distracted starlet out of her thoughts. A shiver ran down her spine and seconds later she was met with Brittany's piercing blue eyes and although she didn't feel like it she smiled. She wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's waist and buried her face into the crook of Brittany's neck. She placed a small kiss there discretely and sighed. They didn't speak further they waited patiently till Shelby finished her one sided conversation and came over to the teenagers. She looked down to them taking in their exhausted figures and sighed.

"I talked to the nurse and they are doing some tests with Holly and the doctor will be here in a few minutes. They are going to move her to a private room and then we can go see her. The doctor will tell us what exactly is wrong and so on. Do you guys need anything?" Everyone shook their heads tiredly and Shelby nodded in response.

And Shelby was right; five minutes later the doctor appeared calling out Holly's surname. The teens shot up to their feet and Shelby walked over to them looking expectantly at the doctor with an eyebrow raised. He indicated for them to follow and everyone made their way to Holly's room. Santana had leaned into Sam who had his arms draped over her shoulder the whole time feeling Santana shake a bit.

Holly was fast asleep in her bed. The room was bigger than usual hospital rooms but that was probably because they were paying for it and Santana was glad that Holly could enjoy her silence a bit and didn't have to stare at ugly, white walls the whole day. Her bed was facing the window and surprisingly the room was pained in warm orange tones.

"Well?" Santana asked the doctor after a few moments of silence and watching Holly sleep. The doctor nodded and looked down at his clip board.

"We did some tests with her and everything is alright. Her blood pressure was slightly increased but that's everything we found. She was stressed and the added dehydration led to her breakdown but I assure you that she will be back on her feet. She needs lots of fluids and rest. We will keep her for tonight just to make sure that everything is fine and tomorrow she can leave." Santana nodded faintly pulling away from Sam. She looked one more time down at her pale god mother letting out a deep sigh and started walking out of the room. Brittany looked at her girlfriend confused wanting to follow her only to be stopped by Sam grabbing her wrist. He shook his head and Brittany stayed, letting Santana think for a while.

Santana found herself in the section of the newborn babies after walking around for a while. She watched as the babies slept silently in their beds standing in rows next to each other. Only blankets and the name cards on their beds were indicating their gender. Santana wondered how death and birth could be so close to each other. Here she was standing in the section of the newborn babies and just a few meters away people were dying or suffering from illnesses.

To her luck Holly was just exhausted but Santana couldn't help but think about what would happen if Holly's situation had been worse. The thought alone left Santana's eyes watering. She didn't want to think about it but seeing as the experience was so near it was hard to just ignore the thoughts that were racing through her mind. The thought of Sam and her living alone in their huge house in Lima. What would happen if Holly wasn't there? Neither Sam nor Santana were legal which meant that Sam would have to go back to his parents and Santana to her grandma but since Santana's Abuela was a bigot she would surely reject to take care of Santana. But to her luck she didn't have to think about any consequence.

Since seeing Holly being carried away to the ambulance her thoughts were only about one thing: Holly being... gone. She still could feel her hands shaking as the adrenaline pumped through her body. She was scared as hell and now all the responsibility she had to take for her job and herself was added the responsibility to take care of Holly and her wellbeing. How much stress and responsibility could she take before it was her turn to break down? Maybe Santana should take a break with her family and go on a vacation. It was only for the best, right? They all could clear their heads, relax a little and enjoy life. Something they hadn't done for a long while.

Heels clicking caused Santana to interrupt the inner battle with her thoughts. Shelby approached her and stood next to the younger girl looking through the window at the sleeping infants. It looked almost ridiculous to see Shelby standing in her designer clothes in the middle of the hospital halls. For a while both women didn't talk they watched how some of the infants moved a hand or another body part lightly. It was calming and Santana felt herself breathe for the first time since the whole incident. Brittany was a great distraction too, but sometimes Santana would rather have some alone time in order to collect her thoughts.

"I always wanted to have my own children." Shelby broke the silence not averting her gaze from the infants. Santana gave a timid nod. She was close to Shelby but in situations like this she didn't know what to say. "I can't have them but I'm happy with my life right now. Are you okay Santana?" This time Shelby turned around and looked at the younger girl. Santana looked back at her.

"I try to be okay. You know everything comes at once and it is hard but I'm fine. I have Sam and Holly." Santana paused. "Brittany." Again there was this smile. Shelby let out a small laugh.

"She is such a sweet girl. I understand why you are so fond of her."

"I just got lucky I guess. The day you called after the paparazzi found out where we were living I really thought that this would be it. I let her wait and I hurt her because I was too scared. I can't believe people are still so oblivious. I mean we are pretty close in public, not in the way a couple would be, but still pretty touchy feely."

"I know I have seen the numerous pictures of you and her holding hands but people still label it as best friends. That's good. But the majority of your fans and random journalists and paparazzi still think that Sam and you are dating. You are the so called 'Samtana'." Shelby air quoted while she chuckled. "As long as people believe that you're safe with Brittany." Santana nodded again and then a comfortable silence fell again over the women.

"I want to change the song for the release date."

"What?" Shelby turned her head facing Santana and giving her a 'seriously' look.

"I wrote a song and I want to release this instead of the original one. I know it's not long till the planned releasing date but it would mean a lot to me if we did that." Shelby sighed not really surprised by Santana's change of mood because that wasn't new. The only new thing was that Santana wrote a completely new song instead of the recorded ones and that meant that Shelby had to rent the studio again and call the producers. She didn't have much time because Santana had also the photo shoot for her new album. Then they had to choose a picture which was going to be used for the single. Shelby could feel her headache coming up from all the calls she needed to make. The only reason she did it was because when Santana chose a song it was always for a reason and her intuition was always proved right when her singles always landed at number one of the charts for weeks.

"Let me make a few phone calls and we'll see."

"Yes." Santana squeaked throwing her arms around Shelby's neck. "Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah." Shelby rolled her eyes and shook her head laughing.

* * *

"Thank you for letting us stay the night Jeanette." Santana took the sheets and the rest of the sleeping things from Brittany's mom. She smiled at her genuinely thankful that she was helping her and Sam when Holly wasn't able to.

"No, problem, honey. You know you and your family are always welcome in the Pierce house."

"Thank you." Santana repeated.

"Don't thank me. I'm off to bed if you need anything just let us know. Goodnight, Santana."

"G'night." Santana replied and waited till Mrs. Pierce disappeared upstairs before going into the living room where Sam and Brittany were sitting on the couch. She entered the silent room carefully and placed the sheets onto the coffee table in front of the couch. As soon as the things touched the table Brittany took Santana's hand and pulled her onto her lap. Brittany wrapped her arms around Santana's waist and placed a kiss onto her shoulder. She took a deep breath inhaling Santana's scent and tightened her grip around her girlfriend.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Santana said while placing her hands on top of Brittany's. She started stroking the back of them gently looking over at Sam asking him with her gaze how he was feeling. A shrug followed and Santana extended one of her hands for Sam to take.

"I'm fine. Exhausted, though. We have a lot to take care of tomorrow. I'm so glad nothing worse happened to Holly." He sighed and stood up taking the sheet in order to spread it onto the couch. The girl stood up, too and Santana grabbed the other end of the sheet helping Sam to make his bed. Brittany watched silently the interaction of the two siblings. She could see the worrying features of both, Santana and Sam. She knew that she couldn't take away the pain but she wanted to somehow make everything easier. Or at least let them somehow relax.

"Let's head to bed. We still have to go to school tomorrow." Brittany said while handing Sam the pillow. He was wearing some sleeping pants of his dad which were too long for him and his own wife beater clung to his body securely. Brittany smiled and wrapped her arms around him for a hug. "Goodnight."

"Night, Brittany." He pulled away and smiled at Santana wishing her goodnight as well and watched as the girls disappeared upstairs before switching off the lights.

Upstairs in Brittany's room Brittany closed the door silently and leaned against it watching Santana walk over to her bed and slump onto it with her face up front. A small groan coming from Santana echoed through the silent room muffled by the pillow. Brittany giggled and sat next to Santana stroking her back gently. Santana turned her face so that she could see Brittany's loving gaze on her and she smiled slightly.

"Take your shirt off." Brittany mumbled and tugged at Santana's shirt.

"What?"

"Take your shirt off." She repeated again and after shooting her a questioning look Santana obliged and sat up and took her shirt off only to be left in her bra and sweat pants. Brittany eyed Santana's torso. The way Santana was wearing her sweatpants low so that part of her hipbones were uncovered and the waistband of her underwear. The way Santana's abs rose and fell every time she took a breath. The way Santana's breasts were perfectly covered by her expensive undergarments.

The way Santana was blushing under Brittany's careful examination. But Brittany thought that she was the most beautiful human being on this earth. She was like a painting Brittany could stare at every day the whole day. She wasn't looking at her as if she wanted to jump her any time. She was looking at her with the most tender and loving look Santana had ever seen and the weird feeling she was having seconds ago was replaced with butterflies going wild in her belly. The blush though didn't seem to fade and it was appreciated by Brittany.

She liked it when she could make Santana feel crazy in love. The blush was always proof for the effect Brittany had on Santana and to be honest Brittany felt great. But she would never deny the fact that Santana had the same effect on her. Brittany extended her arms and ran them over Santana's ribcage feeling every bone under her touch and Santana's shivers. She trailed her hands up Santana's arms reaching up to the spot where the shoulders met the neck and moved her fingers down Santana's collarbone. After placing a tender kiss on it Brittany stood up and walked over to her desk taking her camera. Back on her bed she took a picture of Santana and set the picture on her night stand.

"You're so incredibly beautiful, Santana." Brittany breathed out before taking another picture. Santana's blush got deeper making Brittany giggle lowly.

"C'mere you dork. Kiss me." Santana laughed and grabbed Brittany by the collar bringing their lips together. It happened almost automatically when Santana brought her hands around Brittany's neck and tangled them in blonde locks. Eyes closed and hearts and lips intertwined Brittany brought her hand with the camera up and took a picture of them kissing. Santana smiled into the kiss pulling Brittany even closer and mumbled an 'again' against her girlfriend's lips. Brittany did and after the second picture popped out of the camera Brittany let the camera drop onto her bed and pushed Santana back onto the bed.

The best thing about kissing Santana was that the kisses were never rough or forceful. Santana's lips never felt hard and cold as ice. Brittany could always feel Santana's feelings behind every graze of Santana's lips on her flesh. She could feel the want behind the kiss but they always took their time. Always filling the kiss with as much tenderness and love both of the girls could manage come up with. None of the 'relationships'- if you could call them that- Brittany had compared to Santana.

No boy had ever made Brittany feel giddy with just one look. None of the boys treated her the way Santana did. Brittany actually felt as if she was worth something. She was always an object for boys at her school and they always wanted one thing from her when they asked her out hoping that she was stupid enough to get fucked. Sure Brittany had slept with a lot of people but that was most of the time because she wanted to get off and for the first time in her life sex was not the most important thing between her and another person. She cared so much more about Santana than to just have sex with her.

She wanted to get to know Santana in every way possible. This was not about her anymore. It was about cherishing all the time she could have with Santana to make each other feel good. And although Santana had taken her time with coming to terms with her sexuality for Brittany it was totally worth all the wait and emotional pain she went through the time Santana struggled. It was not easy for everyone to accept their sexuality like it was for Brittany. For Brittany it had always been easy to accept that she just loved people and that their gender was just a not so important thing. But for Santana it was harder because she had constantly this weight on her shoulders. She was slowly coming around but Brittany would support Santana and help her on her trip to getting to know herself if she needed to.

After a few minutes of heavy making out Brittany pulled away because slowly it was getting really heated. She sat up looking down at Santana who was breathing heavily and running her tongue over her swollen lips.

"Santana that was not my plan when I told you to take your shirt off." Brittany managed to breath out. "I wanted to make you feel good."

"And you think kissing you doesn't make me feel good?" Santana asked while sitting up with Brittany still sitting in her lap straddling her hips. She crept her hands under Brittany's shirt scratching her hips lightly and placed a kiss under her jawline making Brittany shiver under her touch.

"Santana." Brittany whined trying to ignore Santana who had still her soft lip on her jawline peppering kisses everywhere she could reach.

"Mhm."

"This is not supposed to be this way." Brittany started pouting. She could feel Santana's lips vibrating against her throat as she hummed and with a last kiss Santana lied back down looking up at the still pouting Brittany who had now her arms crossed over her chest. Santana laughed uncrossing Brittany's arm and intertwining their fingers.

"Right, babe. I'm all yours." Brittany smiled and gave a satisfied nod. She climbed off Santana and put the camera and the pictures aside.

"Turn around." She said softly and helped Santana turn around. She climbed back up straddling Santana's back and placed a gentle kiss onto Santana's shoulder. "You know you need to relax a bit. Since your Abuela thing and now Holly, you are on edge. I'm gonna help you. You just stay down and I'll do the rest. Alright?"

Santana hummed in response and as soon as Brittany started kneading her shoulders she let out a content sigh. She could feel how every muscle in her shoulders and neck started relaxing under Brittany's gentle touch realizing how exhausted she really was after this busy day. Back at the hospital she was anxious and the adrenaline made her more active than she was. She was so exhausted that she didn't even have the strength to react when Brittany unclasped her bra in order to have better access. She usually would start over-thinking these kind of things but not this time. She felt close to Brittany, closer than usual, because no matter what happened Santana had realized that Brittany was always there and that she would always be there. It was a nice feeling and Santana cherished every minute she got with Brittany because as soon as her new single would be released she was going to have a lot of work to do.

Brittany noticed Santana's breathing getting deeper so she stopped massaging and clasped her bra again. She helped Santana up so that they could get ready for bed. Brittany walked over to the dresser and handed Santana some of her clothes. Santana disappeared into the bathroom in order to get ready. Minutes later when she was ready Brittany was already sitting on the bed resting her back against the headboard. She looked up to Santana and patted the spot next to her. She didn't hesitate a second to climb onto the bed and nestle herself into Brittany's side.

"I want to give you something." Brittany said after a while of just snuggling. She reached over to her nightstand and opened the first drawer retrieving a small, red box. Santana watched as Brittany handed her the box with a smile. Santana examined the tiny package in her hands turning it around carefully as if she was afraid to break it. Brittany was so excited about it so Santana didn't let her wait for too long. She took the lid off and looked inside. Under black, shimmery paper was carefully wrapped a necklace. It was a tiny, silver 'B'. "It was a gift from my dad. The first night we went camping to that clearing he had given me the necklace."

"Britt, I can't accept this. Your dad gave it to you." Santana went to put the necklace back into its box but Brittany clasped her hand over Santana's.

"When you went to your Abuela's I was constantly thinking about you and I regretted not giving you something that would remind you of me and that I am always there for you. So this is a reminder for you so you never forget how much I care about you. It is a long necklace so you don't have to worry about anyone seeing it. Because it will always be tugged under your shirt. And one day when you're ready, you're gonna wear it proudly over your shirt and I will be there grinning proudly that I'm your girlfriend and you are mine."

She smiled looking into Santana's brown eyes. Brittany swore that she had never seen such a soft look on Santana. It was the most loving look Brittany had ever seen. Her heart was about to burst from happiness. And when Santana cupped Brittany's cheeks gently and gave her the sweetest kiss she had ever felt making Brittany giddy, she swore that she was the happiest, luckiest and most in love girl in this world. Maybe the universe and whatever else existed. Santana felt like crying from happiness. "May I?" Brittany asked taking the necklace from Santana. Santana nodded and Brittany put the necklace around her girlfriend's neck. She straightened it till it was placed rightly between Santana's breasts.

"You are the best girlfriend ever." Santana whispered and kissed Brittany again. "It feels so surreal because I can't believe how lucky I got with you."

"I'm the lucky one, Santana." Brittany replied earning a shake of Santana's head. The girls snuggled under the covers and after Brittany switched the lights off they shared kisses till they both fell asleep with the stars Santana had gotten Brittany gleaming above them.

* * *

The next morning the alarm clock ringed too early. Everyone was exhausted and no one was in the mood to go to school and face the world. While Brittany was in the shower Santana checked her twitter noticing some get well messages for Holly on her feed from her fans. So everything came out. She sighed for not even being able to have privacy when her family was going through a tough time but other than that she didn't bother continuing looking through other messages. She just was curious about the heart wrenching stories that be published on tabloids. How devastated she was and how everything was written over the top just to sell the magazine. But Shelby would take care of things that shouldn't come out. Though she didn't always manage to prevent some stupid stories from being published.

After Brittany showered Santana took her turn and showered quickly. If she weren't famous she would totally go to school in her sweatpants. She didn't care how she looked, she didn't care about anything today. She just wanted to get over with her day so that she could drive to the hospital and get Holly out of there. Then she had to take care of Holly's spa weekend, then she had to go to the studio and record 'Ocean Eyes'. Her day was planned from the moment she woke up till the moment she would go to sleep. Brittany had lent Santana some of her clothes and while Santana was watching herself in Brittany's full length mirror she couldn't remember the last time she wore no name clothes. But it was pretty comfy she had to admit.

Her gaze dropped to the silver B hanging between her breasts making her smile. One day she would wear it with pride above her clothes showing the whole world that she belonged to Brittany and that Brittany belonged to her but right now she wasn't ready for that so she tugged it safely under Brittany's shirt she was wearing. It was a nice feeling because now she just had to tug at the material and she would be able to smell Brittany on her. She pulled the collar of the shirt over her nose and inhaled deeply. A quiet chuckle pulled her out of her Brittany trance making Santana to turn around. Brittany was leaning against the doorframe smiling at her.

"You should wear more of my clothes." Brittany laughed while walking over to Santana and wrapped her arms around her waist.

"They smell like you. That is definitely a plus." Santana smiled and brushed her nose against Brittany's. "Thank you for yesterday. I really appreciate everything you do for me."

"No need to thank me, okay? I would do it as many times as you need me to. Don't ever doubt that." Santana's smile widened and she closed the gap between them by pressing her lips against Brittany's softly. A scream caused Santana and Brittany to pull away and the girls ran down the stairs followed by Brittany's dad. Elijah wasn't even wearing a shirt because of the rush. The scream came from the kitchen where Sam was standing with Jeanette and Stacey was standing a few meters from Sam with her jaw dropped onto the floor. Santana was still trying to process what was happening. Only the Pierces knew what was going on and they started laughing.

"Is everything alright?" Santana asked confused looking at her girlfriend for an answer. Only then did she notice as she was watching everyone Elijah's topless, muscular chest. On the left side of his chest right above his heart was a tattoo. There was a B and an S inked in black into his chest for eternity. It was such a simple tattoo but it had a huge meaning. Brittany and Stacey. Santana felt great for Brittany and how she could be lucky to have such a great dad but Santana still had this empty feeling inside of her which made her heart sink a little because she knew she would never have that. Shaking herself out of her thoughts Santana tore her eyes from Elijah's chest and looked back at Brittany.

"Sorry." Stacey blushed looking shyly at Sam who waved her off with a shrug. That's when it clicked. Santana knew this scream too well. She got it everywhere she went and now Sam got it. Santana giggled and threw her arm around Stacey's shoulder.

"Ah don't worry S. We already got used to it."

"Okay, now if you excuse me I need to finish getting ready. I have a meeting this morning. Have fun at school." Elijah said and exited the room. Stacey who was still embarrassed excused herself and disappeared into her room with a bowl of cereal.

"Well that was… interesting." Sam laughed

"Interesting." Santana repeated laughing.

* * *

"Are you sure Quinn didn't already leave for school?" Santana asked Brittany while they were waiting in front of Quinn's house to pick her up. She was sitting in the backseat with Brittany and in order to make herself comfortable she had lied down with her head in Brittany's lap. Her legs were placed a bit uncomfortable but for the feeling she was having while Brittany was stroking her hair it was worth it. She didn't remember the last time she was in Sam's car but it was definitely a good feeling to just enjoy the ride.

"I'm pretty sure that she's still inside eating her bacon." Brittany giggled and continued stroking Santana's hair. She hummed in response and silence fell over the car again. The radio kept playing quietly in the background and that's when Santana noticed that one of her own songs was playing. Although she was already used to it she was always proud when one of her own song played on the radio. A smiled tugged on her lips and the proud feeling wanted to burst out of her chest. She remembered the day when they were shooting the video. It was in August and it was really hot and Sam and her ended up in a waterfight with Mason. They had started with throwing waterbombs at Mason always hiding behind a wall every time he turned around in order to see who was the one wetting his Prada outfit. But eventually Sam and Santana ended up laughing too loud and they had to come out of their hiding place and attacked Mason with huge water pistols. A look into the rearview mirror and judging by Sam's matching smile Santana knew that he remembered that day, too.

Santana heard Brittany humming to the song and turned her head smiling up at her girlfriend.

"You know the song?" She asked.

"Of course I do. My girlfriend sings it."

"God you guys are so cute." Sam cooed from the front seat earning a punch in the back of his seat. Santana went to say something but the door opened and Quinn sat on the passenger seat surprised. Sam leaned over the center console pecking his girlfriend's lips.

"Okay, I have a few things to say. First why do I have to find out through some social networks that my boyfriend's mom had to transfer to the hospital due to a break down. And secondly why did I get numerous texts from several members of my Cheerios all telling me that my boyfriend is cheating on me with Santana?"

"We're doing what?" Santana shot up from her position in Brittany's lap and looked at Quinn in disbelief. She knew that there were many rumors about her and Sam but now that he was allegedly cheating on Quinn with her that was new. People already had seen that Sam had a girlfriend. There were a few pictures of Quinn and Sam together holding hands while being out on a few dates. They never knew though more than that she was on the same school as Santana and Sam. Besides neither Sam nor Santana had made a statement about Sam's relationship. But Santana never thought that they would be so bold and say such stupid things. She should have known better. This was not the first time a completely wrong story was being published but what bugged her the most was the fact that Brittany had to feel awful or at least uneasy. But she would take care of it later. Santana took her phone out of her pocket and scrolled through the internet finding more and more articles about her and Sam dating and him cheating on his current girlfriend. The 'proof' was a picture of her and Sam where they were sitting on the hospital floor while Sam was pressing his lips to her forehead. Santana knew that the kiss was just for comfort. But to people who weren't close to them they made the impression of dating.

Quinn and Sam were discussing the topic but Santana didn't listen. She looked at Brittany who was now looking down at her hands. She reached over and took one of Brittany's hands.

"Britt." She said but Brittany didn't react. She took her hand out of Santana's and took her bag.

"Sam, stop the car." Brittany's voice sounded firm. She didn't even know that she was able to. Right now she was just upset that being Santana's secret was harder for her than she admitted. She didn't mind people not knowing about their relationship, but when she saw articles about speculation that Santana dating anyone who wasn't her stung her heart. It was a feeling she couldn't describe but all she knew was that she didn't like it at all. Sam looked worried but stopped the car. As soon as the car halted Brittany opened the door and exited. Santana sighed and followed her girlfriend outside.

"Wait for us." She said before closing the door and ran to catch up with Brittany. "Brittany." She shouted. Brittany eventually stopped. She knew that this was not Santana's fault but that didn't make everything better.

"God, I'm sorry I'm acting like this." Brittany turned around facing Santana. "I just don't know how to deal with everything. Sometimes I don't even see you because you're either busy with a shoot or with recording your new album. Then you have school and then there are the incidents. You were distant after your Abuela and I missed you. I missed talking to you because you're not just my girlfriend. You're also my friend. I missed kissing you and just snuggling with you. Santana you're famous and I'm just… I'm just me."

"That's perfectly fine you know." Santana replied. "Brittany, that's the best thing about you. You stick to being yourself no matter what. You have this confidence anyone, me included, could only dream of. This is one of your most beautiful traits and one of many reasons why I fell for you. I know the way I earn my money isn't easy for you but if you don't want this I'm not forcing you into anything. I care about you and I would do anything to make you happy and if you aren't happy then you have to tell me and I will do everything that's possible for me to make you happy." _Even if it's making me unhappy. _"But I would never give up on you without a fight."She continued sadly her voice getting weaker and weaker as the last words came out of her.

She used to run away when it got difficult but Brittany wasn't one of those things she would run away from. That's one of those things Brittany did to her. She got always behind her walls with just one look. She could feel Brittany tugging at her heart as they were talking.

It would be so easy to rip it out of her chest but Santana trusted Brittany with keeping it safe. She trusted Brittany with the task of protecting her. She was vulnerable, yes, but it was just because Brittany kept the key to the well hidden back door of the fort Santana had started building years ago. She had managed to steal it without Santana noticing it. And with Brittany's hand wrapped around her heart carefully one wrong move from Santana and it would be out of her chest beating in Brittany's hand. All Santana could do was trust Brittany with her heart and protect Brittany's as much as Brittany was protecting hers. And with her feelings for Brittany she had, she knew that it wouldn't be hard to trust Brittany with everything she did, her emotional safety and especially her heart.

"Santana look at the 'B' I gave you yesterday." Brittany demanded and waited till Santana pulled it out of her shirt holding it as if it was the most precious thing in the world. "You see that 'B'. This is a promise. A promise I gave you to be supportive, to stick with you through thick and thin. To protect you when you need to be protected and to be one of the reasons of your smile. This is not a joke neither is this a game to me Santana. So I never said it would always be easy. No relationship is. But the best thing is that if we stick to each other then we will get through the ups and downs and our beautiful, happy moments will be the greatest parts of our relationship. I really want to make this work because you are important to me and I know that the feeling is mutual. I wouldn't give up on you without a fight either so I guess that we're gonna have each other for a long time." Brittany smiled the upsetting feeling she had earlier, forgotten.

Maybe sometimes she just needed a reminder of what her and Santana really meant. But who didn't? Everyone did doubt sometimes but Brittany had no reason for it anymore. She closed the gap between her and Santana and hugged her as tight as she could. If they weren't outside where everyone could see them she would have totally kissed her senseless.

"I'm sorry for my reaction." Brittany mumbled.

"I know, honey." Santana mumbled back and when she pulled away she linked her pinky with Brittany's. "Wanna get back into the car?"

"Yeah."

* * *

School dragged today and Santana didn't have every lesson with Brittany but a lot of them were with Sam and she was glad about it. They kept making plans for Holly and all the things they needed to take care of. To say that neither knew what the lesson was about was obvious. When they arrived at school they were late but Sam and Santana still went to Figgins to inform him that due to some health issues Holly wouldn't be attending her classes and that he needed to find a substitute for a week or so. He told them something but neither Santana nor Sam listened to his rant and his wishes for her wellbeing.

And those things apparently weren't enough because people at their school kept looking at Santana and Sam more than usual. Most of the students were still not used to the fact that some huge celebrities were at their school. They were still taking pictures and they were still asking for autographs. But this time their stares where different. Everyone was looking for a sign for them dating. Hands were ready in their pockets in case something happened so that they could take a picture. News really spread like wildfire when it came to Santana's life. Some of the students were brave enough to approach them telling them that they were sorry for Holly as if she was dead. Santana knew this feeling. It reminded her all too much of the day her parents died. But she kept strong because she was good at it and waited till glee club where she would see her girlfriend again.

It seemed like everything was more annoying than usual today. Santana was on edge and that meant bitchier than usually. Puck's stupid remarks were stupider than normal. Finn's baby face too annoying and Rachel's voice too loud when she talked and sang till Santana had enough interrupted Rachel in the middle of her song. Mr. Shuester was still not there and Rachel thought that it was her job to take over the supervision. Every gaze was directed to Santana when she stood up abruptly and groaned loudly. Brad stopped playing and Rachel looked at her smiling thinking that Santana would say something nice.

"God! Do you like ever stop talking?" She shouted waving her hands in the air frustrated. "Rachel don't you see that you are annoying everyone with your attitude here? When I see moving your mouth I just have the need to put tape over it so that I can relax for just a minute but I'm afraid that if you aren't talking you will explode and I don't want baby face weeping in a corner." Santana gestured with her thumb towards Finn who didn't even realize what was going on frustrating Santana even more.

Why did they have to be such kids all the time? Why couldn't they just act like adults? "You know Rachel I love singing that's why I make money with it but when I see you acting over the top about it you're ruining my mood. Why can't you just let the other members have fun, too? You know you're not alone here. And guys…" Santana turned towards the rest of the members. "Why do you let her act like this? If you wanna make it in this business you should stop let yourself being pushed."

"I have said it more than once but it feels like talking to a wall." Mercedes added.

"Excuse me Santana I understand that you are bit… on edge right now but that doesn't mean you can interrupt me during my song like this." Rachel spoke up. It felt like she didn't even react to what Santana was saying or anyone else for that matter.

"You know what Rachel, Santana's right. I want to be able to sing, too." Mercedes said again.

"You can take your turn after I finished with the songs I was suggesting for Regionals."

"Let's have a sing off." Santana suddenly blurted. "Unless you are too scared of losing." She continued challenging Rachel who was now thinking about it. The room kept quiet; only Sam knew that Rachel was lucky that Santana didn't hit her. He smirked because he also knew when Santana had something in her head she would do anything to make it perfect. Rachel had practically no chance.

Sam had seen the outlines of Santana's shows. He was there when she made them and she planned everything till the last detail. "Next week in the auditorium we're gonna perform and the rest of the club will decide who won. If I win the other members will get the chance to sing at regionals. If you win go on with whatever you were planning. So Rachel are you in?" Santana crossed her arms over her chest and looked at Rachel with her eyebrow raised.

Rachel eventually agreed and together with the rest of the glee club they put up some rules. Turned out Santana wasn't allowed to sing any of her songs and Rachel wasn't allowed to sing 'Don't Rain On My Parade' and 'Run Joey Run' for reasons Santana didn't know. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to know. And the rest of the rules were unimportant because Santana was already coming up with thousands of ideas to win and she was determined to win. This was going to be an easy battle.

* * *

The week had ended pretty quickly. Holly was doing a lot better and she had already made plans with Shelby to go to this spa resort. She had started eating again and she slept a lot. Santana had recorded 'Ocean Eyes' and Shelby loved it. She definitely preferred it than the other one that was planned. The shoot for her cover had been great. Brittany was there during the shooting and after they had finished they had ended up taking some funny pictures with the photographer. Brittany was still impressed every time she got an insight of Santana's world and Santana was always happy to be able to show her girlfriend her world. Plus since their little argument they were a lot closer and Santana wore her silver 'B' everywhere she went and if she couldn't she had it always in her pocket clasping her hands over it every time she needed it.

The rumors about Santana and Sam had died down. Shelby had arranged some public appearances for him and Quinn where they had to just show up together in order to show everyone that he wasn't cheating on anyone. People seemed to accept it and everything went back to normal again. Only this time Santana had started making a change for herself and made a new appointment with Dr. Swan. Brittany had offered to come with her but Santana wanted to do it alone and Brittany let her.

Santana wasn't as defensive as she was when she first was sitting on the same leather couch she was sitting now. But still nervous about what she would find out. And today she didn't feel as threatened by her therapist as she felt a week ago. Dr. Swan looked a lot friendlier right now and Santana had even found out that her name was Julia. Dr. Julia Swan. She was only there to help Santana and although she still had difficulties with opening up but at least she was a lot more open-minded.

"So how are you today Santana?" Dr. Swan opened her notepad and pushed her thick glasses up further. Last week she wasn't wearing glasses. Santana didn't know what she was thinking about. Santana gave a nod and looked down at her hands nervously. She started playing with her ring again. The same platinum ring she was always playing with when she was nervous. Dr. Swan took her first notes.

"Good."

"How was your week? I heard Holly had some health issues?"

"Yeah she did. But she is alright now and she's taking some time off in order to calm a little. She deserves it."

"Why do you think that?"

"Well since I can remember, Holly was always there when other people weren't. She was the one teaching me how to swim, how to ride a bike. She helped me with my homework. She was my mom and my dad at the same time. I can't remember the last time she did something that wasn't related to me or Sam. When she had her breakdown I felt really helpless. I'm glad nothing happened but I had a lot of support."

"And Sam? What is Sam for you? How does he stand to Holly?"

"Well Sam is like my brother from another mother." Santana laughed nervously and looked outside of the window. "He is the best friend I ever had. He has a lot of family issues, too so I feel more connected to him. I can rely on him no matter what and he is really supportive. He actually knew about Brittany before I knew myself. And I think Holly is the same to him as to me. Just with the difference that they haven't known each other for as long as I've known Holly." Dr. Swan nodded satisfied and scribbled a few more notes. It was a lot easier to talk to Santana than it was the last time.

"Santana, why did you came back? I was a bit surprised, to be honest, when you called for another appointment. What changed your mind?"

"Brittany did."

"Brittany, your girlfriend?"

"My girlfriend." Santana repeated and continued looking at everything but Dr. Swan. Santana took a deep breath because they were getting closer to her insides. Closer to her thoughts, fears and feelings and that made her nervous. She kept playing with her ring.

"Your ring." Dr. Swan stated.

"What is with it?"

"It's nice."

"Thanks. It's my mom's wedding ring." Santana took it off and looked at the engraved name in it. Rico Lopez and the date of the wedding. It was one of the few things she had kept after her parents' death. She had still her dad's watch and his wedding ring and a few of his clothes hidden deep in her closet. She had tried to throw a lot of things away but some things were too hard to let go.

"How did your parents die?"

"Bambi."

"Bambi?" The therapist questioned.

"Yeah it was because of a fucking Bambi." Santana laughed bitterly. "They were on their way home and then there was suddenly a fucking Bambi in front of the car. My dad dodged and crashed into a tree. And trees always win." She balled her hands into fists. She didn't want to cry but she felt like it. She had held it in for seven years and never talking about it was helping but now that she was saying it out loud it felt so much more real.

"You are famous, you make your own money and thousands of people admire you. Your parents would have been proud of you."

"I don't know about that. I feel like I never really knew my parents. Brittany's dad has his daughters' names inked above his heart. I wonder if my dad would have done that. What did my dad do when he was a child? What was my mom's favorite color? I knew nothing about them. They were always gone. When I was in elementary school I won a spelling bee contest. Holly was the one there cheering for me and framing my certificate. When I had my first casting and got rejected Holly was there drying my tears and encouraging me to never give up on my dreams. They missed my whole life. I wasn't even an obligation. I was nothing. They didn't know who I was and they never got to know who I am now. But hell I don't even know who I am. It feels weird to not know that. My whole life I've been in charge of everything and I really mean everything. My appointments, my clothes everything from the start of the day till the end of it. The smallest things like what I would eat for lunch. And one day I got pulled into an adjoining room in a fucking mall. I didn't even realize that my world got pulled under my feet when I looked into ocean blue eyes. And now everything's so uncertain. I don't know how to deal with it. Every time I try to label myself it is so hard. So why would my parents ever be proud of me?" Santana answered and finally after seven years of bottling up emotions she started crying.

She started crying because although she had the perfect life most people kept dreaming of she felt like a huge part was missing. She missed her parents. She cried because she had to grow up too fast but most importantly she cried because she was sad and angry about the fact that she didn't even had the chance to say goodbye. She cried because for the first time in seven years she could breathe again.

A lot of weight on her chest had been lifted. It didn't make her parents come back but it was a step towards moving on. She was far from being healed but she was willing to take one step at a time now that she had tasted the sweet taste of relief. She was going to say goodbye and she was going talk to her parents about everything they had missed on even if she had to camp at the cemetery. She felt like she had to do it if she wanted to close this chapter in her life. She cried till her eyes were red and puffy. She cried till she had no tears left.

* * *

**A/N Sorry for the hiatus but I can't help it. Life's getting into my way. Thank you for all your reviews :) ****Thanks Lex for correcting my chapter. You're the best :)**

******Let me know what you think. Either here or on my tumblr: kissinglips95. tumblr. com**


	17. Chapter 17: Love Notes

**Chapter 17: Love Notes**

* * *

Sometimes people were hard to understand. Every person has their own habits and every person is different. But still sometimes they could be so un-logical. Why were people still smoking although they knew that it has negative consequences to the body? Why did people still do drugs although they knew that the first time you would take drugs you would end up in this never ending circle? Santana's theory was that people just needed an escape from real life.

The cigarette you are smoking at the bus station while waiting for the bus or during your break. The moment you light up the bud the world is forgotten and you just concentrate on yourself. The five minutes it takes to smoke the cigarette give you the most peaceful feeling and the moment you throw the bud down and step over it reality comes crashing down on you. And for those five minutes of peaceful feelings, you had to taint your lungs with disgusting fumes.

Same thing applies to drugs. The moment you come down from your high and need your next fix reality comes crashing down on you and you're an addict. You lose your job, your family and everything just because a small pill took control of your whole life. But still people don't stop. They continue because they need the escape.

One thing humans had in common was that after they confessed something they felt better. No matter how small the thing was they confessed. It could be a child that stole a cookie from the cookie jar or it could be something bigger like admitting a crime. It always felt the same though. It felt like a weight had been lifted off their shoulders and they start being happy again. Usually.

And then there was Santana. Since she told Dr. Swan everything she feared, she felt as if this weight she was carrying all those years had been lifted off her shoulders. She could finally breathe again. But since she confessed her feelings and thoughts she had managed to burry deep down in the past years, everything around her had changed. And change for Santana was difficult. She relied on her routine and if something was not like she had planned it or was used to it, it was a huge adjustment for her.

First there was the fact that she slept better but when she woke up it was always before her alarm clock was able to wake her. Plus she woke up when she was supposed to be sleeping and when she woke up at three in the morning she couldn't go back to sleep and then she started ghosting through the house.

Then there was this new thing called 'crying yourself into sleep'. It felt like she was making up for lost time. Santana didn't know how much she cried but since the meeting with Dr. Swan she had cried all the unshed tears that had not been cried since she was ten. It wasn't a bad thing she felt like she was getting closer to closure and that was a good thing.

There was only one thing she needed to do but Santana wasn't ready for that. Contrary to her promise to go to the cemetery Santana didn't go. She wanted but when she was sitting in the cab in Los Angeles and the driver was waiting for her to say the address she chickened out and she told him to drive her to the airport instead. She had already made a big step and confessed everything. Now Santana needed some time to prepare herself for the next step.

Santana was sitting cross legged in the middle of her bed staring at her digital clock on the nightstand beside her bed. The red numbers of the digital clock were burning holes into her brain. This was how it had been the past few days and she was sick of it. Sighing, she wrapped her cover around herself and tiptoed downstairs. Santana put on a fire in the fire place and as soon as it was spitting and warming her she took some old photo albums and sat on the carpet in front of the fireplace.

She couldn't remember the last time she actually looked into them. The cover was bit dusty but with a swift move of her hand she brushed the dust away and opened it. The album was full of memories. She didn't remember most of them. And with the things she didn't remember she meant the few pictures of her parents. The pictures showing her with Holly though were memories she still remembered as if they happened yesterday.

Looking through the pages Santana noticed that most pictures were of her and Holly and that just a few have been taken of her parents and every picture with her parents looked forced because of keeping up the false pretense of the perfect family picture. Her dad had always cared about what people thought of them. And because of his job they had been forced to keep up that act. Though Santana didn't remember many things about her life with her parents. There weren't many pictures where Santana and her family looked carefree like on the pictures with Holly.

There was one picture Santana loved the most and she couldn't believe that she had forgotten about it. It showed her and Holly when Santana was about one. They were in the backyard of their old house in Los Angeles. She was wearing only a diaper and she is smiling with Holly into the camera like a fool while they are lying in the grass. She couldn't remember that day but Holly had retold her everything when she had asked. Holly had brought bursting bubbles and every time she blew bubbles Santana burst out into laughter making the world brighter like Holly liked to say.

Santana smiled and took the picture out of the album. It was too beautiful for it to be in there. Besides she had promised Brittany to show her a baby picture of herself and this was the one she wanted her to see and not one of the forced pictures taken with her parents. Santana closed the album and put it back to its place.

And again she was still awake with nothing to do. She decided to take a shower and after that she paid extra attention to her hair since she didn't have anything to do. She straightened it and on one side she put some strands back with a silver flower hair clip making it look as if it was shaved.

When she was finished she decided to just drive over to Brittany's despite the ungodly hour. Since she climbed through the window Brittany had told her where her family hid the spare key so that she didn't have to climb up the roof. Leaving a note for Sam she left the house and drove over to Brittany's.

After parking her car in its usual place in front of the Pierce house, Santana unlocked the door silently and went upstairs into Brittany's room where her girlfriend was fast asleep. Smiling softly Santana slid next to the sleeping girl and wrapped her arms around Brittany's waist pulling her as close as possible and buried her nose into her blonde locks. She felt Brittany stir a little and then their fingers were intertwined before Santana fell into unconsciousness, sleeping peacefully for the first time since the meeting.

* * *

"When did she get here?" Brittany's mom whispered to her daughter when she entered the room and saw Santana still sleeping. Brittany was standing in front of her mirror combing her hair up into a ponytail.

"I don't know around five maybe? She hasn't sleep well the last few days so I didn't want to wake her yet. She needs some sleep." Brittany looked back at Santana who was curled up in her sheets. Her chest was rising and falling with every breath she took and a few times a low sigh escaped her lips making her look extra adorable.

"Okay, well if you need anything just let me now. I'm going to make some breakfast for you."

"Thanks mom." Brittany smiled genuinely and after her mom disappeared Brittany walked over to the bed and sat down next to Santana. Brushing some strands off Santana's face Brittany leaned down and placed a soft kiss to Santana's forehead.

Brittany continued brushing her thumb over Santana's cheek till her eyelids fluttered open revealing chocolate eyes gazing softly up at Brittany. "Hey, honey." Brittany whispered making Santana smile at her in response. She cupped one of Brittany's cheeks and pulled her down for a kiss. "How are you feeling?" Brittany asked and lied down next to her girlfriend pulling Santana to her and starting to stroke her hair.

"Good." Santana replied hoarsely placing her head onto Brittany's chest to listen to her heartbeat. Sighing contently she closed her eyes and concentrated on the steady thud beneath Brittany's chest. It was peaceful and Santana liked the silence that washed over them. It was that kind of silence that didn't need to be filled with unnecessary words. That's what she loved at being with Brittany.

Whenever they fell silent it was comfortable. They communicated with their bodies and small gestures and Santana loved that when Brittany stroked her hair or her hand setting her skin on fire. A good kind of fire that was warming her chest and her heart. "I wanted to show you something." Santana said and grabbed the picture from her bag. "Do you remember the day I took you with me to rehearsals and you wanted to see a baby picture of me?" Brittany nodded.

"You still remember that?"

"Of course I do." Santana smiled softly. "I remember everything you've said to me." After sitting back on the bed Santana handed Brittany the picture and studied Brittany's face as she examined the picture. Her features softened and a bright smile appeared on her face. She started looking back and forth from Santana and the picture comparing how she looked as a baby and how she was looking now. Brittany came to the conclusion that Santana never lost her beauty. In fact she became even prettier and Brittany's heart swelled with pride. She still couldn't believe that someone like Santana had chosen her.

"Oh my gosh. That's you?" Santana nodded smiling. "God you were so cute." Brittany continued cooing making Santana blush. "I mean you still are." She winked and leaned forward kissing Santana once more.

"Okay stop that now." Santana giggled and put the picture back into her bag. After adjusting her skinny burgundy pants Santana grabbed Brittany's hand pulling her up. "You know I wanted to ask you something. We have this movie premier in L.A. and on my invitation there is a plus one. I want you to be my plus one."

"Are you part of the movie or something?"

"No, I recorded some songs for the movie soundtrack and so I'm invited. Holly and Sam are, too as my company so they don't have a plus one but that's okay. We're gonna wear some nice dresses nothing too fancy since this is just a premier but we're gonna have some fun. You're gonna meet a bunch of celebrities and we're gonna stay at our house in L.A. So what do you say?"

Brittany stroked Santana's exposed shoulder seeming to think about it for a moment. She tugged at the grey material of Santana's oversized shirt to cover the naked flesh a little and then she nodded smiling.

"I say that it is super awesome and that I'm really looking forward to L.A. and to an awesome weekend with you out of Lima."

"Awesome." Santana replied pulling Brittany in for a kiss before hugging her. She inhaled Brittany's perfume and sighed contently. She definitely loved moments like these.

"Santana if you don't want to be late for school we should go now. You have your sing off with Rachel today."

"Fine. But you should know that I'm gonna kick ass."

"Of course you will." Brittany giggled and pulled Santana out of her room.

* * *

Santana knew to distinguish a good from a bad performance and when she saw a bad performance she usually said something mean. When she first came to McKinley and Brittany told her all those stories about glee club she really thought they would be better. Especially from what Brittany told her about Rachel. What Santana could see or more hear was that Rachel had an amazing voice. She really had but she was wasting her talent on a song that was definitely not made for her.

Rachel was so focused on winning that she didn't take her time to really figure out her song. It was a great song and Rachel was talented but it just didn't fit and it disappointed Santana. And when Santana was glancing around, the rest of the glee club seemed as surprised as she was. There was a whole show going on behind Rachel. Students that were supposed to dance were standing around either texting or stumbling through the choreography. Honestly it was ruining the whole performance.

Through the whole performance Santana felt as if Rachel knew the lyrics but she didn't know what she was singing about. The connection was missing and maybe it was because there were some songs Rachel wasn't allowed to sing but still there were plenty of other songs to sing. Santana really thought that Rachel was better than that. Or maybe Santana did expect too much and now her disappointment was bigger.

She knew that Rachel wanted to become a famous Broadway star and the best thing about Rachel was that she was always true to herself. And the fact that she bent so much just to impress was the worst thing about it. So many artists have been forgotten just because they were always doing what people expected them to do. Drugs, alcohol, one hit wonder, everything could be the end of a career.

Music was a way to express feelings for Santana. She liked it when her songs had a message behind them only she or her family knew about. That's why she always wrote her own songs and that's why 'Ocean Eyes' was so important to her. Because it was expressing everything she couldn't say out loud. Her real feelings for Brittany she wasn't ready to say with words.

It helped her escape for a few minutes from reality and just focus on everything she didn't have time to. Santana was sure that Rachel knew that too but she had let her eagerness get over her senses. Santana was disappointed and honestly it wasn't about the battle for her. It was about showing Rachel to be a team player.

She would manage to teach Rachel to be one. But she couldn't even describe how she was feeling about Rachel's performance. She didn't want to say anything negative because Rachel was good and that this was just a slip for her. Santana had those moments, too where she screwed up. Who didn't? Everyone had their moments where something didn't work the way you had wanted them to but after the fall you had to stand up again and Santana was sure that Rachel would stand up again.

Santana didn't deny that she didn't always have it easy. So many producers had turned her down because she wasn't willing to change for the sake of the image of the company. She had been rejected so many times at auditions. She had joined every casting show she knew. Small castings and big ones. But before she could make it to the live shows they always threw her out because of some things she may had or had not done.

It was not her fault the girl, Sarah, fell down the stairs or some guy named Jackson got food poisoning. It was true Santana didn't always play fair but neither did all the producers. She knew all the dirty tricks. If people wanted to make it someday they had to be reckless and that's what Santana was. But still it never worked.

Then one day she just didn't want to hear no anymore. She couldn't handle it anymore. At first it was fine but then no followed after no and it hurt. You start thinking about your future. What are you going to do if you don't make it? Is there something else that could make you as happy as singing? Holly was always there supporting her. Travelling with her from state to state to get to the castings.

She was there hugging her after every rejection encouraging her to never give up and believe in her dreams. And then Shelby called. The woman who was as reckless as Santana was. The woman who never backs off and got Santana a deal at one of the best music labels. Everyone knew Shelby and her intuitions. They trusted her and then Santana had made it. Fans all over the world, award after award, platinum records and a sold out concert at the Madison Square Garden. She had reached what she had been dreaming of for so long and Santana was thankful for everything Shelby had done for her.

Now Shelby wasn't only a manager and a publicist. She was also a friend. For everyone on the outside Shelby was the perfect business woman. Reckless with a good vision. But Santana and her family knew her so much better. Shelby may seem hard on the outside but really she was a goof ball and Holly's best friend. Holly never hung out with boring people so that had to be a sign.

Santana looked to her left where Brittany was sitting with her feet tugged under her. She reached over and took a hold of her hand. It was a good thing that the auditorium was dark and that Brittany and Santana were sitting behind the rest of the glee club. Stroking her thumb over Brittany's hand Santana saw her girlfriend smiling at her. She tugged gently at Brittany's hand and brought it up to her lips placing a soft kiss on it.

"I don't want to do this anymore." Santana whispered.

"The sing off?" Brittany whispered back and Santana nodded silently. She rested their intertwined hands onto her lap and looked back to Rachel who was still singing.

"This isn't about winning you know?" Santana spoke up never averting her eyes from the stage. "This is glee club. It should be fun and not a Rachel Berry ego show. I heard Mercedes sing and she has such an amazing voice. Then there's Kurt he may sound as if someone's squeezing his balls but still he has talent. Everyone should get a chance. This is a team and not a one man show."

"Then show her how to."

"I will."

* * *

There was just one spotlight shining over them. The piano had been pushed into the middle of the stage and Santana and Rachel had a great view over the audience which consisted only of the glee club. They had walked together on stage and sat at the piano next to each other after they had talked. Santana had explained Rachel what she wanted her to know and promised her that they would work on it together.

Sometimes Rachel reminded Santana of herself. She was as eager as Rachel and she was too focused on success. So the ignoring part came automatically. Santana had done it too. Rachel was pretty open- minded about what Santana had to say. Although it was hard for her she had promised that the other members would get a chance, too. Santana was satisfied with the result and had asked Rachel if she would sing with her.

Santana nodded and started playing the opening bars of David Guetta's 'Without You'. There was only one reason she had picked the song and the reason was sitting right there in the front row smiling up at her. It was the girl that filled her nights with beautiful dreams. It was the girl that made her feel beautiful and sexy every single day just by looking at her. It was the same girl that pulled her out of her funk and showed her how to live making Santana able to breathe again freely. And it was the girl with the most beautiful name in Santana's opinion. Brittany.

She took one last glance at the audience and then Santana closed her eyes picturing Brittany in front of her and started singing the first lyrics. Brittany could feel the chills run down her spine slowly. Santana's low, raspy voice was creeping under her skin making her heart beat faster and a warm feeling spread in her chest. The moment Santana opened her eyes they locked with Brittany's and it was as if the world was forgotten. It was as if only Brittany and Santana were sitting in the auditorium.

No Puck drooling and no Finn looking like an idiot. It was just the two of them. The auditorium felt like it was on fire and Brittany felt the electricity and the connection between them and she wondered why she hadn't met Santana earlier. Santana spoke to her through the song and Brittany knew that Santana meant every single word of it.

As soon as it was Rachel's turn to sing the moment wasn't as intense as before but the girls kept their eyes locked and Brittany knew that the song was still for her. Even if she didn't know why Rachel was now singing with Santana, she knew that something good had happened backstage and she was glad that Santana was being nice to Rachel.

Sam's idea to force Santana to join glee club was great. Brittany and Sam could see how Santana was beginning to come out of her shell and being more open to people and not the constant defensive attitude she used to have in order to protect herself. Santana had to admit thought that it was nice to not have to put up the façade she had when she was in publicity.

When the song ended Rachel and Santana stood up and bowed in front of the club earning standing ovations and loud cheering from the members.

"Okay guys since it's Friday and Holly's not home Sam and I decided to invite you over to our place. Bring your bathing suits we're gonna chill by the pool. Britt and Quinn are going to text you our address later. Hope you all can come." Santana said before she jumped off the stage. Everyone was excited but no one seemed to question why they didn't have a winner. It wasn't important anyway. Rachel thanked Santana once again and everyone but Santana and Brittany left the auditorium glad that a school week had ended again.

After a moment of comfortable silence Brittany finally averted her gaze from the stage and looked at Santana smiling. "So?" Santana started because Brittany didn't stop smiling at her. It was kind of creepy and Santana was starting to worry.

But instead of answering Brittany cupped Santana's cheeks and kissed her. It was better than words and Santana understood that Brittany was feeling flattered and good and most importantly loved. Santana wrapped her arms around Brittany's waist and pulled their bodies flush against each other. No matter how close they were and no matter if they couldn't get any closer the girls always wanted to be closer every inch of their bodies touching.

"Thank you." Brittany whispered after parting their lips. Her chest was heaving from the need of oxygen but her smile never faded.

"I think there's nothing I wouldn't do for you at this point."

* * *

After a quick stop in order to change clothes Santana halted her car in front of the grocery store to buy some things for later. She couldn't remember the last time she actually went grocery shopping. They had staff for doing things like that. She didn't do her own laundry nor did she need to clean the house. A lot of money was being spent on people taking care of things Santana and her family didn't have the time to do. It was making everything easier. Santana was a bit embarrassed about it but she just hadn't had the time to clean her own room but the cleaning people did everything very well so she didn't have to worry about her room being messy.

She locked her car and followed Brittany into the store. To her luck it was almost empty. From what Santana saw there were just a few older people and the cashier who was engrossed into her magazine which by the way had a picture of her on the cover.

She remembered taking that interview. It was through the phone because she wasn't in Los Angeles but it went very well and now she and her ten so called 'beauty secrets' were the cover story. She didn't deny it though that she felt proud every time she saw herself on the cover of a magazine. It was just a great feeling to get confirmation for everything she had reached.

Sometimes she still believed that one day she would wake up and nothing she did had actually happened. No people's choice awards she won more than once. No MTV music awards and all the other things she had won during her years of work and fame. She had them all lined up in the living room in a vitrine.

She was proud of every single one of them and she had a story for every award standing on the shelf. It reminded her that everything she did was worth it. The long hours in the studio and the short nights when she was inspired and a new song came to her mind. The constant following of fans and paparazzi. Although her career had its shadow sides she loved every single moment of it.

Brittany took a shopping cart and pushed it towards Santana who happily accepted pushing it. It was time she did some things by herself. And she had to admit that it felt great.

"I can't remember the last time I went grocery shopping. I almost forgot what grocery stores look like." Santana laughed and pushed the cart towards the first aisle. Brittany smiled at her girlfriend and climbed into the cart earning another laugh from Santana.

"Anything specifically you want?" Brittany asked as she leaned against the back of the cart.

"I don't know. Let's just fill this thing. You can choose whatever you want." Santana gestured around all the aisles. Brittany satisfied with the answer nodded and pointed towards the first aisle with the candies.

Brittany felt like a child when she looked at the variety in front of her and was allowed to choose whatever she wanted without a limit. It felt like heaven and it was mirrored by her expression. She had a huge toothy grin on her face which made Santana smile at how easy she could make Brittany happy. She started loading the cart with everything Brittany wanted. Some of the things she chose herself but mostly it was what Brittany pointed at just to see that smile. Santana felt like Santa Clause and Brittany was the child who got everything she ever wished for.

Brittany was about to grab another package of Skittles when she felt holes being burned into the side of her head. It felt as if she was being watched and when she turned around to see who was standing there her smiled dropped and her lips pressed into a thin line. She gulped audibly.

Megan whom she managed to avoid since the incident was there glaring at her and Santana. Suddenly she felt stupid for sitting in the cart covered in different packages of candy. She didn't know why but Megan always managed to get under her skin making chills crawl down her spine as she was watching into her ice cold eyes. It didn't compare though to Santana's ice cold voice she had used to get Megan to back off from her. Santana was still engrossed with her task of choosing candies trying to decide between two of them when she turned towards Brittany.

"Hey Britt, do you want-" Her features hardened at the sight of Megan and she matched the glare Megan had till the other girl dropped it. "Take a picture it lasts longer." She snapped.

"I might actually do it. You know Brittany sitting in a shopping cart like a four year old child is hilarious." Megan replied sarcastically.

"Don't go there or this time I won't behave myself." Santana started clenching her jaw and her grip on the cart handle tightened. She wasn't sure if this time she would be able to control herself. Megan was starting to piss her off.

She wasn't dumb. She knew when Megan glared at them when Brittany and her were sitting with Sam and Quinn in the cafeteria during their lunch breaks. This wasn't very often but sometimes the auditorium was closed and they were forced to go there. Many people stared at them but Megan's glare was the only one Santana felt because it was the glare of the girl who once upset her girlfriend and this was unacceptable for Santana.

"Anyway I've got better things to do." Megan replied and passed them slowly in order to get to the next aisle. Santana followed her with her gaze and Brittany just shrugged it off and continued filling the cart. As soon as Megan had disappeared Santana returned her attention to Brittany with an eye roll, who behaved as if nothing had happened and Santana was glad that this time Brittany hadn't given in. She smiled and lowered her lips to Brittany's neck after making sure that no one was there watching them.

Brittany had noticed that Santana had become braver in public. Her touches were lingering more than usual and she wasn't afraid to be all touchy-feely. It had become a game for them. Santana always tried to test the boundaries. She always tested how far she could go with Brittany without anyone noticing that they were dating. But when she didn't, she felt the B press to her body making her feel all warm inside.

"San." Brittany giggled when Santana started sucking on her pulse point. She hummed in response not taking her lips off Brittany. "People are going to see us."

"No one's here." Santana mumbled against Brittany's neck and continued her assault on her girlfriend.

"What are you doing? Are you giving me a hickey?" Brittany smiled while adding more things to their pile.

"It was about time you got one." Santana laughed pulling away after a last kiss on the spot she was sucking seconds ago and examined her work. She could see the dark bruise and maybe she sucked a bit too hard but she was damn proud of the result. "Oops." She smiled again and Brittany could see the playful glint in Santana's eyes making her smile. She took Santana's hand pulling her closer till she had to bend down and pressed her lips against Santana's for a tender kiss.

"Did you get everything you wanted?" Santana asked and pushed the cart away from the candy aisle.

"Do I really have to share everything?" Brittany crossed her arms in front of her chest and started pouting earning loud laughter from Santana.

"I'll buy you the store the next time. I promise. But yes today you have to share." Santana started loading all the things onto the assembly line. The cashier had yet to discover her too engrossed into her magazine while chewing her gum annoyingly. Brittany climbed out of the cart and helped Santana.

As soon as she was standing in front of the cashier ready to pay Santana cleared her throat to get the cashier's attention waving her American Express card in front of her. The cashier lowered her magazine ready to say something when her gaze fell onto the star she was reading about seconds ago and her expression changed to excited.

After signing the magazine and paying the loads of snacks they bought they drove back to Santana's house. Quinn and Sam were in the kitchen preparing some things for later. They were already wearing their bathing suits. Quinn had a dress draped over her bikini and Sam was wearing his hoodie to cover his torso until they were actually going to jump into the water. Sighing Santana set the bags onto the counter.

"Did you buy the whole store?" Sam laughed opening a package of chips and emptying its contents into a huge bowl.

"Nah just bought what my girl wanted." Santana replied winking and pressed a kiss onto Brittany's cheek.

"Wait a second." Quinn suddenly blurted. She walked over to Brittany and put her fingers over the hickey. "Did you get attacked or something? This looks huge."

"If by 'getting attacked' you mean that Santana had something to do with it, then I definitely got attacked." Brittany giggled.

"Anyway." Santana interrupted before the situation became too embarrassing for her because she wasn't exactly the perfect person for public display of affections. Although she wanted to show everyone that Brittany was hers and that she was really in love with her, she was more the type of keeping things in private because of her fame even if it was her family. It was okay to peck Brittany's cheek sometimes but other than Santana didn't want to go further when they had audience. "We need to get changed, Britt."

"See you later." Brittany waved and followed her girlfriend upstairs.

* * *

Santana watched the silver flesh that was revealed in front of her. She could only see Brittany's back but it was enough to leave her mesmerized. She knew that Brittany was beautiful but she never thought that she would be that beautiful.

Her muscular back and the pink bikini that was covering Brittany's parts perfectly. The golden locks that were falling over one shoulder leaving one side of Brittany's neck uncovered. The side that had Santana's mark on it.

She once had read that bite marks were love notes written in flesh and now more than ever she really understood the meaning of it. The hickey was proof that Santana had deep feelings for Brittany. Feelings that no one but them understood. She could see it right in front of her.

Brittany's legs suddenly disappeared again in her sweatpants, that's when Santana realized that she was staring. And then as if nothing was ever uncovered Brittany's torso disappeared under a tank top. Santana shook herself out of her staring and looked quickly down at her own feet. She could feel a deep blushing covering her cheeks reaching down her neck. Was it getting hotter in her room?

"What is that?" Brittany asked seriously cupping Santana's chin and lifted it so that she could look Santana in the eyes.

"What is what?"

"Is that drool?" Brittany's lips curled up into a smile and Santana's embarrassment doubled. She stood up and slapped Brittany's shoulder playfully.

"I was not-"

"Sure, you weren't." Santana covered her face with her hands and tried to hide her burning cheeks causing Brittany only to laugh more. "You're too cute." She whispered and pulled Santana's hands from her face. Cupping Santana's cheeks gently she started pulling Santana slowly closer and closer. Their lips were brushing and they could feel each other's breath on them. Brittany was about to press her lips onto Santana's when Santana suddenly pulled her sweatpants down.

Loud laughter erupted from her throat and before Brittany could react Santana stormed out of her room her laughter echoing through the house. "Oh no you did not just pants me." She shouted while quickly pulling her sweatpants up and started chasing her girlfriend.

Santana was running down the stairs when Brittany caught up with her. The girls giggled excessively and Santana tried to run faster in order to not get caught. She didn't even see the wet spot on the marble floor when she slipped and fell down in front of the kitchen entry. Her belly was hurting because of laughing and she didn't even have time to realize if she had hurt herself or not. The only thing she realized was when Brittany climbed on top of her propping herself by her elbows and looked at the still giggling Santana.

"Brittany." Santana managed to shout between laughter. "Get off me."

"Say sorry."

"No."

"You know I have all the time in the world. I can lay here all day and night."

"Okay fine. I'm sorry." Santana stopped laughing and gazed softly up at her girlfriend.

"Good girl." Brittany whispered and leaned down kissing Santana. This time she didn't try anything. Their lips were barely brushing when they got interrupted again by a clearing of a throat. Only then did both girls realize that they weren't alone. They quickly shot up to their feet the playful mood suddenly forgotten when Santana saw Mike standing in the kitchen with Sam and Quinn. She crossed her arms defensively in front of her chest and glared at Mike. He had an awkward look on his face and looked away when Santana's glare got too much.

"Mike came earlier to help me with some things. He was changing when you arrived." Sam started knowing that his sister was pissed.

"You better not say anything." She warned while walking over to the counter completely ignoring what Sam said.

"Calm down, San. Mike's alright. He won't say anything." Sam defended and Mike nodded in agreement. Santana hopped onto the counter and stole some of the snacks never breaking her glare.

"He better not."

"No, don't worry. I'm totally cool with that. Your secret's safe with me." Mike smiled. Although it was a weak one Santana had the feeling that it was okay that he knew about her relationship with Brittany. And after looking at her girlfriend who nodded reassuringly confirming her that she could trust Mike Santana gave a satisfied nod.

"Thanks."

The doorbell rang giving Santana something to change the topic. She walked over to the door and pushed the button that opened the main gate. Seconds later the rest of the glee club members appeared. Santana led them into the kitchen thanking them for all the compliments she received for the house.

It was nice to have a simple relaxed round with friends. Brittany had the time of her life with all of her candies and at some point Santana had to separate Brittany and her candies in order to prevent a stomach ache. Brittany was not thrilled about it but when she felt Santana pinch her butt lightly she smiled and it was forgotten.

Santana was especially happy to see Blaine and almost the whole afternoon she spent time with him and Brittany. He had gotten such a good friend that she loved spending time with him. He made her laugh than no one else besides Brittany, Holly or Sam. And Mike kept to his promise and he never let anything slip. Santana used the time to get to know the other members better. At least most of them. Mercedes seemed really nice and Santana talked with her a lot about music. But other than that she stuck to the people she was familiar with the most. Sam, Brittany, Quinn and Blaine.

* * *

Santana could still hear her friends' gasps echoing in her mind when they entered the indoor pool immediately engulfed by warmness and the slight smell of chlorine. Many people who entered Santana's world had the same reaction. The luxury house, expensive cars, wide space and everything was neatly arranged everywhere. There was no spot that wasn't clean and a few of the glee club members were carefully, afraid to break some of the expensive decorations. Kurt on the other hand was excited about everything happy to finally found a home that was designed like he always dreamed of. But when they entered the pool all of their worries had disappeared and as soon as music was playing everyone was in a great mood.

They took enough pictures to remember this night forever and for Santana's twitter she had decided to make a video. She had pressed Rachel her phone into her hand and everyone who could do a backflip was welcome to join the video. In the end though only Sam, Brittany, Santana, Quinn and Mike were on the video while doing a backflip and landing into the warm water.

"Oh my god Brittany!" Kurt's high pitched voice suddenly echoed through the room. He swam over to Brittany who was looking at him confused and a bit startled. He cupped her chin and tilted her head to the side in order to have a better look on her neck and when he did he gasped loudly. "Brittany did someone hit you?" Brittany shot Santana a worried look not knowing what to say. Santana's eyes widened and she shook her head slightly. She prayed that nothing would come out.

"No?" Brittany replied unsurely. If there was one thing Brittany couldn't do, it was lying. She was horrible at it. But if she was honest she didn't like lying. There was no point it anyway. She was always honest and Brittany never found it necessary to lie. The truth would come out eventually, anyway. And if you wanted people to be honest with you, you had to be honest with them. But now she had difficulties to decide. Technically she wasn't lying, was she? She was just keeping the truth about her and Santana form her friends. Was that lying?

"I want to know everything who's the new guy or girl you're hooking up with. I haven't seen you making out with anyone in ages." Kurt continued pressuring Brittany to spill her secret.

"It's no one." Brittany brushed Kurt's hand off her neck and looked uneasily around.

"That doesn't look like no one. You haven't made out with anyone in months and now you have a hickey. C'mon that has to be someone. Someone special?"

"Okay, Kurt enough now. I think you're getting a bit eager here." Blaine pulled his boyfriend back glancing at Santana who gave him a thankful nod. A relieved sigh escaped her lips. Kurt let it be after that and although he was still curious as hell he didn't question it further.

Santana and Brittany looked at each other glad that they somehow were able to cover their relationship but how many times would they manage to do that? It was getting hard to resist the urge to hold hands in public. Especially for Brittany.

She didn't like secrets and slowly she was getting tired of it. But she wanted Santana so if they had to keep their relationship a secret Brittany was willing to do that. Maybe they should just be careful the next time when it comes to love notes.

Because sometimes the wrong people sawthings they weren't supposed to see.

* * *

**A/N Hey guys :) So here's the new chapter. Thanks M for helping me :)**

** I'm sorry but because of some issues I couldn't post last Sunday. And I need a new beta reader if anyone is interested you can message me either here or on my tumblr. Preferably someone whose mother tongue is English. Let me know what you think either here or on tumblr: kissinglips95. tumblr. com**


	18. Chapter 18: Ocean Eyes

**Chapter 18: Ocean Eyes**

* * *

The roads were empty as Sam drove through the streets of Lima. The concrete was wet from the rain. Thick clouds hung in the air giving the night sky a light red undertone. There was going to be a thunderstorm. Besides the car passing the silent streets there was no other sound coming from the sleeping city. What a difference to Los Angeles! His beanie was clinging to his head warming up his frozen ears as the car was starting to heat up making the cold feeling in his fingers vanish. The vitrines of the stores, he drove by, were decorated with colorful lights, fake snow and small Santas sitting on their sleighs pulled by Rudolph and the rest of the reindeers. Christmas was getting closer and for the first time Sam had no idea what his family and he were going to do.

Every year at Christmas his family and Shelby used to celebrate at Alma's. This year though it was going to be a very lonely Christmas. Wasn't Christmas supposed to be the feast of love? The time of the year where people appreciated one another? The time of the year where the families gathered to celebrate just being able to be together? And most importantly the time of the year of forgiveness? Sam sighed shaking his head sadly. Sometimes he couldn't understand adults. Every person wanted for their children to be happy, didn't they? Well in Santana's case it was her grandmother but that didn't make Alma's reaction acceptable. Even if Santana didn't get to see her grandma as often as she used to before she became famous, she was still very important to his sister and although Santana had accepted to live with it, he knew that it was still hurting whenever Santana thought about it. It hurt him, too because Alma may not be as important to him as to Santana but she was more of a grandma to him than his real one and he loved her, too.

So why was Alma so against homosexuality? In Sam's opinion she didn't even had to accept it. She could at least tolerate it because Santana is her grandchild and Alma loved her. That's what Sam thought until the dinner. He wished that he had spoken up, too. Defend Santana like Holly had done. It probably wouldn't change the situation or Alma's opinion but at least it would make the guilt disappear. The guilt was nagging at his conscience making him feel awful inside. Sam knew that Santana didn't think of him that way but that didn't change his view of things.

But no matter what had happened this year he was going to make Christmas Eve as enjoyable for Santana as the previous with her grandmother. He would start with all the traditions. Getting a Christmas tree that they were going to select by themselves. Decorate the house with as many lights as possible. Hang stockings over the fire place with his, Santana's and Holly's name on them and so on. If he had to he would even dress as Santa. Just to see Santana enjoy the feast as much as possible and to let the year end smoothly.

He looked over to his sister who was sleeping, her head resting against the cold window. She was looking tired due to the lack of sleep she had the last days. She had started preparing things for her shows and interviews. Now that her new single was going to be released she would tour a lot. Press appointments, small concerts, interviews, fan meetings, invitations to shows. Everything to promote her new album. He smiled softly at her, taking in her exhausted features before returning his gaze back to the street. After driving for another half an hour he could see the lights of the private airport lighting up the dark.

"Santana, wake up." He whispered nudging his sister without averting his gaze from the street. "We're almost there." Santana stirred before opening her eyes blinking dazedly. Realizing that she was in the car she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and yawned. She looked out of the window in order to get a better view of the airport. Rain started blurring her window as it hit the windshield. The sound of the rain droplets and the windshield wiper sliding against the windshield echoed through the silent car.

Santana always liked the sound of the rain. Every time she heard it a wave of calmness washed through her body and she was relaxed as ever. That's how she felt now. She concentrated on the thud on the roof of the car while tapping her finger on the door of the passenger side in rhythm with the thud. The lights of the airport were blurry every time a new bunch of droplets hit the window making them look like little colorful dots before being wiped away. Sighing contently Santana rested her head against the back of her seat a smiled tugging at the corner of her lips.

"She's coming home again." Santana whispered breaking the silence and then suddenly she started laughing happily. "She's coming home again." She repeated as if she wanted to reassure herself that Holly was indeed coming back home.

"I know." Sam said nodding.

"Although it was just a week I miss her like crazy."

"I know you do. She'll be as happy to see us." Sam said while he parked the car and turned the engine off. "Wait here. Let me get an umbrella." He climbed out of the car and after grabbing an umbrella out of the trunk he opened the door for Santana waiting for her to join him under the umbrella. Santana snuggled up to Sam and they walked inside and waited as patient as possible for Holly to come out. Santana was fidgeting on her seat all the time barely being able to hold in her excitement. And as if on cue Holly walked out of the gate- followed by Shelby- looking as relaxed as possible. She was glowing and was radiating a calmness Santana could only dream of. Upon seeing the two teenagers Holly smiled and Santana ran up to her engulfing her god mother into a bear hug. She breathed in the familiar scent she had to live without for a week.

"God, I missed you." Santana mumbled tightening her grip around Holly's waist.

"I missed you, too, honey." Holly answered with as much happiness as Santana and kissed the top of her head. She looked over to Sam and motioned him to join them. He smiled and wrapped his arms around both women. The family was complete again and they couldn't be any happier.

"Thanks for the greeting." Shelby laughed after watching them hugging for a while. And before she could react she hear a chorus of 'awws' and was pulled into their group hug.

* * *

Santana tapped silently through the hall her phone clutched nervously in her hand and knocked on Sam's door. When she didn't get an answer she stepped slowly into the room. The only light source was the light coming from Sam's aquarium.

"Sam?" She called out stepping further into his room.

"Bathroom." He answered. "Come on in." Santana nodded although he couldn't see her and opened the door. Sam was standing dressed in only shorts in front of his mirror while applying shaving foam to his cheeks. "Everything alright?" He asked when Santana just kept looking at everything but him. She nodded again and sat on the toilet after closing the lid.

"Sam, can I ask you something?"

"Of course." He stopped his task and turned around looking at his sister gently.

"Have you and Quinn…" She paused not sure if she wanted to continue but decided quickly against it. "Have you and Quinn ever- you know." Santana stopped again making wild hand gestures. Sam sensed Santana's nervousness and kneeled down in front of her taking her hands in his.

"Santana you know you can talk about everything with me. Just say it, I won't judge you nor will I make fun of you."

"Have you and Quinn ever had sex?" Santana blurted out turning her head to hide her blush. Sam chuckled silently.

"Why do you need condoms?"

"Sam, you promised not to make fun of me." She groaned.

"You're right, I'm sorry. Yes, we have. Why do you ask?"

"Because Britt and I never did it. I mean I want to but… I dunno I'm just nervous. I've never had sex." To be honest Santana had thought about it a lot the last days. She was sure that she was ready but she was nervous. Her nervousness was based on the fact that Brittany had experience and Santana didn't. What if she sucked? What if it was so bad that Brittany didn't want to have sex with her anymore? Santana was a hundred percent sure of her feeling for Brittany and she was ready to be not only emotionally close to her girlfriend but also physically. It was part of a healthy relationship and Santana wanted to show Brittany that she loved her in every way possible. And that included sex.

But was it really only sex?

Santana wanted to feel Brittany's heartbeat next to hers. She wanted to explore every inch of Brittany's body with her lips. She wanted their souls to be intertwined and their bodies to breathe as one. She wanted to hear Brittany say her name in a way that only she would ever get to say Santana's name. She wanted to tangle her fingers into Brittany's golden locks feeling shivers run down her spine while Brittany explores her caramel skin with her lips. She just wanted to feel Brittany in every way possible and sex was too simple. It was not about getting pleasure. It was about expressing feelings with their bodies and give pleasure. She wanted to make love to Brittany. She wanted to love Brittany. At least she knew that she loved Brittany but she wanted Brittany to know and feel it, too.

Making love means that Santana wanted to take a moment of bonding to reinforce her commitment to Brittany. Brittany wasn't just a notch on Santana's bed post. Not a one night stand or someone whom Santana would say goodbye to the next morning. Making love has emotions attached to it. It's not something where you concentrate on getting the pleasure and leave your intercourse partner hanging eventually. She always thought that making love to someone was something that idiots came up with because they had too much time and nothing better to do. But for the first time everything that once was so ridiculous to her made perfectly sense.

If someone had told Santana at some point in her life that she would think this way she would've hit them immediately. She felt dorky for thinking this way but Brittany was bringing it up in her. For the first time she wasn't only thinking about herself and if she was completely honest, Santana had to admit that it was not as bad as she was thinking. Because behind her tough exterior she was just a girl asking to be loved. And Brittany had managed to make her feel that way. Loved. She just needed someone who really had the patience to stick with her and until now only Brittany had done it. Santana was thankful for that.

"Why are you nervous? You love her, she loves you so why making such a big thing out of something so simple?"

"Because… I don't know. I don't want to disappoint her."

"Why should you disappoint her? Santana, sex is not a performance. You are connecting with Brittany, you don't have to impress her or someone else for that matter. You don't need to prove her anything. You don't need to be good at it. Have fun, feel loved and special. Make her feel loved and special. It is about you and her bonding. Just calm down. Be yourself and together you'll figure it out. Okay?" Santana smiled weakly and nodded. She didn't get to hear such smart things from her brother very often. Sometimes Sam wasn't the sharpest tool but he had his moments where he said things that really had depth.

"Thanks, Sammy."

"You're welcome." He smiled and pulled her into a hug managing to smear some of his shaving foam to her cheek making Santana squeal. With cheeks covered in shaving foam Santana stepped in front of the mirror to wipe it off. Sam stood next to her and placed his razor to his cheek and started shaving. He had managed to take a picture with both of them looking into the mirror cheeks covered in foam. He decided to give Santana's fans something and posted it earning a punch from Santana. But deep inside he knew that she enjoyed silly pictures as much as him. It made her feel normal. Which person didn't post silly pictures of themselves? "Hey, Santana and if you need something else just ask. You know I'm always here for you."

"Thanks, I'm always here for you, too. G'night, Sam."

"Sweet dreams, Tana."

* * *

"Brittany." Holly beamed when she opened the door revealing Brittany standing in front of the door. "Come on in." She stepped aside letting the younger girl to step inside.

"Hey. You look much better."

"Thank you, hun. I feel much better."

"My mom baked you some cake. She's wishing you the best." Brittany said handing Holly a container.

"Well tell her thank you. Santana told me that you're coming with us to L.A. next weekend. She's happy about it." Holly said while walking into the kitchen and placing the container with the cake onto the counter. She saw Brittany blushing and nodding making her smile. Sometimes the two were so obvious that Holly still could not believe it why no one had found out about them. Because Santana wasn't just a celebrity. When she was somewhere hell broke out. Fans blocked streets causing riots, they filled up malls and shut down the traffic, most of them cried when they saw Santana and some even fainted upon seeing her.

People in Lima had gotten used to Santana. They were still staring and asking for autographs and pictures but all in all the situation was relaxed. There were also still the reporters that were following Santana wherever she was but in Lima they had all calmed down. The students at school had gotten used to seeing Santana every day and that she only trusted a few people. But no matter what Holly had made sure that Joe was everywhere. She didn't let Santana leave without him. He may not always be next to her but he was always in reach and Santana knew that. Since she became famous Santana's paranoia had doubled and having Joe with her made her feel much safer. She had never been in insane situations and Santana wanted to make sure that it would stay this way.

After chatting with Holly for a while Brittany went upstairs to Santana. She was sitting on her plushy carpet leaning against her bed with her earphones plugged in her ear and looked out of the window. She didn't hear Brittany when she came in so she startled when Brittany sat down next to her and wrapped her arms around Santana's waist pulling her in between her legs. Santana pulled her earphones out and relaxed into Brittany.

"Hey." Brittany smiled and pecked Santana's cheek.

"Hey yourself." Santana smiled and turned around just enough to kiss Brittany. "More." She breathed out when Brittany went to pull away. She grabbed Brittany by the collar of her shirt and pressed their lips together. Brittany could sense her girlfriend's good mood and that was exciting her.

"You're in a good mood." Brittany stated earning a fit of giggles from Santana.

"I'm indeed in a great mood. They're gonna play my new single today."

"Really? I still don't know why you didn't want to tell me about your new album."

"Britt, as much as I'd love to tell you about my new album I can't. I signed a contract and people who aren't involved with my album are not allowed to know about it. You have to be patient though. We have some time until they're gonna play the new song. Let's turn on the radio." Santana took a pad that she was using as a remote control. She could control most of the things in her room like the blinds, the light and her electric devices. Pressing a button Santana turned on the radio letting the music play silently in the background until her song would come up.

"But until my song comes up I have a surprise for you." Santana stood up and disappeared in her walk in closet. Seconds later she appeared again with a big red box and sat down next to her girlfriend and handed it to her. "Open it." Santana watched her girlfriend open the box and pulling out its content. It was a short, midnight blue dress with only one strap and a thin, silver line starting from the strap and reaching down the bottom of the dress. Brittany gasped and looked at the silky item in her hands.

"San, that's beautiful."

"It's for the premier. I'm really excited about taking you with me and since you need a dress I got you one."

"Thank you." Brittany leaned forward and kissed Santana.

"Well what are you waiting for? Try it on." Santana urged and leaned her back against the headboard. Brittany disappeared into the bathroom in order to get dressed. She looked at herself in the mirror after zipping up the dress. It was really beautiful and she was looking absolutely gorgeous in it. It was one of those dresses that hugged her body perfectly at all the right spots without making it hard for her to breathe. Santana had really good taste but then Brittany had spotted the price tag and gasped in shock. Eight hundred dollars! She was never going to accept this.

She knew that in comparison to her, Santana had much more money than Brittany. And now Santana was giving her a present that she could never accept. She couldn't let Santana buy such expensive things for her. Yeah she would love to get gifts from Santana and give her gifts but only as long as it was staying in a reasonable price range. Sighing Brittany walked back into Santana's room. Santana was still sitting on the carpet playing with her B necklace. She smiled when she saw how pretty Brittany looked and jumped up to her feet and walked over to her girlfriend.

"Let me see it." Santana said taking Brittany's hand and twirled her around making Brittany giggle. "Brittany Pierce, you are the most beautiful girl in the universe. You look absolutely gorgeous." Brittany felt her cheeks redden but smiled at her girlfriend. Leave it to Santana to make her feel like the prettiest girl. She leaned down and placed a sweet kiss on Santana's lips.

"Thank you." Brittany started. "But I can't accept it."

"Why?"

"Santana, did you look at the price tag? I can't accept that."

"Why not?"

"Santana, you bought me a dress that costs eight hundred dollars. I will never be able to pay you back."

"Britt, I don't want it back. I just wanted to make you a little gift. It's just a dress. I'm not buying you a house." Brittany walked over to Santana's desk and leaned against it. Sighing she shook her head. Santana didn't understand what she tried to say.

"No, it's not about the fact that it is a dress. It is the price. Do you know how much I have to work to earn that much money? You sell a song and you earn more money than I would earn in two years. I can' let you buy me such expensive things. I can't accept it."

"So this is all about me having more money than you?" Santana asked just to make sure that she was getting Brittany's point because right now she couldn't believe what she was hearing. It was just a dress. Why did Brittany need to make such a scene out of it? She was looking gorgeous in it and Santana would've bought it over and over again for her girlfriend. She didn't mind spending money on Brittany because she was worth it and no money in the world could express how much she cherished having Brittany in her life.

"Santana, this is about me not letting you spend so much money for a dress I'm going to ware once on a premier. It is too expensive and I can't pay you anything back."

"Brittany, as I said I don't want it back. It looks pretty on you so you're keeping it."

"I can't Santana!" Brittany raised her voice. Something she didn't do very often. She didn't like shouting nor did she like arguing. Santana was making it hard for her to be calm when she was acting stubborn.

"I'm not taking it back. We have to walk over the red carpet. Reporters will examine everything. Our dresses, our behavior, absolutely everything about us. I can't let you walk over the carpet like that." Santana pointed at Brittany's oversized sweater and leggings that were placed on her bed. Brittany's features hardened. So that what it all was about. She was a risk for Santana. She couldn't be seen in cheap clothes because she would embarrass Santana? Was that the reason why Santana didn't want to out herself? Because Brittany was her girlfriend?

Brittany knew she was jumping to conclusions but she couldn't help it. She was mad because Santana didn't leave her even a chance. They could've just looked for another dress that was much cheaper together. Such a simple solution but they had to fight about it. Because they couldn't sit down together and discuss it like normal people. What was wrong with a dress that was similar to this one but much cheaper?

"Why am I going to embarrass you? Because I will wear my cheap clothes? Will it ruin your reputation?" Brittany was getting angry now. She slipped out of the dress and started wearing her own clothes again.

"Britt, that's not what I meant."

"And what exactly did you mean? Because to me it sounds like I'm embarrassing you."

"Britt, stop twisting my words. I didn't-"

"No." Brittany cut in pulling her sweater over her head. She never got that mad but she was already insecure about not fitting into Santana's world. Because if she was being completely honest her world and Santana's world collided. She was a normal girl who didn't want to be famous and Santana was so famous that everyone she hung out with automatically became famous even if they didn't do anything. Their worlds could never fit together. "I'm going home. I don't want to argue with you." She mumbled shrugging her coat on. Exiting Santana's room Brittany walked down the stairs followed by her girlfriend.

"C'mon, Britt. You know I didn't mean it like that. I have an image I have to keep up with. People expect certain things from me. I don't like bad publicity and I don't want to give people reasons to judge me." With every word that left Santana's lips she felt more stupid. It all sounded so wrong. It sounded like Brittany was a reason for bad publicity but that wasn't what she meant. "Britt, I'm sorry. This is not what I'm trying to say. It is just a stupid dress and it has nothing to do with you all of this." Santana was pleading now but Brittany wouldn't listen. Santana watched Brittany open the front door and with a last glance back she closed it behind her.

"Fuck." Santana shouted and hit the door Brittany had disappeared seconds ago.

* * *

"What was that about?" Holly asked when Santana stepped into the kitchen running her hand through her air frustrated.

"We had a fight. A fight about a fucking dress." Holly closed her book she was reading and looked at Santana inquiring further explanation. "I bought her a dress for the premier and she didn't want to accept it because it was too expensive. It is just a dress. Then she started twisting words in my mouth. And I may have or have not said things that sounded wrong. But I swear I never wanted to hurt her."

"Was the fight really just about the dress?"

"I don't know. I tried to explain to her that there were some expectations we have to fulfill. And she thought that I was embarrassed of her and therefore she needs to make up for it by wearing expensive clothes. But I'm not. I'm not ashamed of her. Holly, you know how this business is working." Santana pleaded now. She was looking for an explanation she couldn't find herself. Maybe Holly could just explain everything to her reasonably. Make her understand why everything had to be so difficult when it just could be easier.

"Are you sure that it was more about the dress and not about the fact that Brittany is starting to get sick of you still keeping her a secret?" Santana looked at Holly defeated. She slumped onto one of the bar stools and looked at the counter. Did Brittany really feel that way? Why didn't she tell Santana sooner? They could've discussed it in order to find a solution. "Santana I think that Brittany is starting to think that the reason for you keeping her a secret is because you're ashamed of her."

"I'm not ashamed of her. I am afraid of everything. I will out myself to the whole world don't you think that this is terrifying? It won't be just friends, family and people around me. It is the whole planet!"

"I know that but did you tell that Brittany? Because this is something she has to know and not I." Sighing Santana nodded.

"Okay. I'll drive over later."

Sighing Brittany plopped into the driver seat if her mother's car. She rested her head against the steering wheel. She couldn't understand why she and Santana were even fighting. It was just a stupid dress. But Brittany knew that the dress was not the problem. It was the secret thing that made her lose her temper earlier. Brittany didn't like herself when she was mad. People said mean things when they were mad and she just couldn't do that. So she'd rather take a break let out some steam and then continue talking civilized.

She didn't want to say things she didn't mean. That's why she had decided to go home and later she would come back to talk. And she had understood what Santana meant when she said that she couldn't let Brittany walk over the carpet like this. That didn't mean though that it didn't hurt any less. Why couldn't they just be a normal just like any other couple? But that's what she loved the most about being with Santana. They weren't like any other couple. Brittany started the engine. The radio was playing causing Brittany to cool off a bit. She backed out of the garage and started driving towards home.

"Hey, I'm Santana Lopez and you're listening to my new single 'Ocean Eyes'. Enjoy!"

As soon as Brittany heard Santana's voice coming from the speakers she drove to the side and turned the radio louder. She listened to the lyrics carefully. It was a pretty song. It was about love and ocean eyes that made Santana crazy. Brittany smiled. Santana could sometimes be so sappy even if she didn't show it. She had done a great job and Brittany was so proud of her girlfriend.

And then suddenly it hit her like a ton of bricks. Ocean eyes. Santana had written a song about her. And Brittany loved every single note and word of it. It made her heart beat faster and the butterflies in her belly were going crazy. She wanted to cry. She wanted to climb onto the car and scream out loud that she loved Santana.

Brittany started the engine again but instead of driving back home she drove to Santana's the fight completely forgotten. She ran up to the front door and rang the bell several times until Sam opened the door. He looked at her confused but she just stepped inside and looked around in order to find Santana.

She was in the kitchen drinking a glass of water and Holly was sitting at the counter with a cup of tea reading a book. She didn't care though. Brittany quickly walked to Santana and tangled her hands into her raven locks pulling her in for a desperate kiss. It didn't matter if Holly was looking or if Sam was chuckling. She just wanted to kiss Santana.

She wanted to thank her for everything and tell her that she loved her. Because even if Santana didn't tell the world that she was in love with Brittany she had done it somehow through a song that anyone was able to purchase. Now everyone could have a piece of her and Santana on their iPods. They could hear about her and Santana's love without being aware of what a meaning the song really had.

"I love you, Santana." She said after pulling away resting her forehead against Santana's, her hands still tangled in her head. She looked deep into Santana's eyes. She could see the love in them. Santana's chest was heaving. She didn't know though if it was because she needed oxygen or if it was going to burst because of love.

"I love you, too, Brittany." She replied without any trace of hesitation and pulled Brittany again in for a kiss.

* * *

**A/N Thanks to all the people who offered to be my beta. Also thanks for all your reviews :) You're all so sweet. And thanks to my new betas. You did a great job. **

**Let me know what you think either here or on my tumblr: kissinglips95. tumblr. com**


	19. Chapter 19: Let Me Love You

**Chapter 19: Let Me Love You**

* * *

_Please notice that this story is M rated! Enjoy :)_

* * *

"Part of me still hopes that they can see me. Watch me while I do some things. Things that are important to me and mean something; things that sometimes change the world and my life. I want them to be proud of me. I want them to look down at me while they feel their chests fill with pride and just say 'Yes, that's Santana. She's our daughter. My flesh and blood.' This is the part of me that misses them and loves them although I never admit it. Maybe that's why I'm working so much because I want them to be proud. Because I don't want everything to be wasted. But the other part of me is just mad.

It's getting easier, though, talking about them and I feel relieved every time I share something about them that is bugging me inside. It is a lot easier to think about them now. It's still sad but I'm starting to find my peace with it. I allow myself to feel now. But wherever they are I hope that they are alright."

Santana finished her rant and looked at Dr. Swan. She nodded satisfied with Santana's confession and closed her notebook. She smiled and was now more than sure that she could let Santana go now. Giving insights into her thoughts had gotten a lot easier. It was relieving as long as it stayed in private. And because Dr. Swan had to do it, Santana had stopped worrying about it.

"I'm very satisfied with the progress you've made. I think this was our last appointment. If you ever have the need to come back just make an appointment. But other than that it was a pleasure meeting you, Santana."

Dr. Swan stood up and extended her hand for Santana to shake. She shook it with a smile and stepped out of the office. She exited the building with a smile and slid her aviators on. She felt free. It was over now and she was proud of herself. She had realized that only she, herself, was the one who could help her. All she had needed was just someone who gave her a nudge in the right direction and someone who was there to listen.

As soon as she stepped out she was greeted with the usual black van that was waiting for her to get to her appointment. Before anyone could notice her she walked over to the vehicle.

"Hola, familia." She greeted when she climbed into the van. Her family, Shelby and Joe smiled at her amused. "And hello my gorgeous girlfriend." She turned towards Brittany after fastening her seat belt and pecked her cheek. Brittany started giggling. "Aw look how cute she is." Santana cooed and pecked her girlfriend once more.

"What's up with you?" Sam asked confused. Never ever had he experienced Santana in such a good mood.

"Today was my last appointment with Dr. Swan. Today I found out that 'Ocean Eyes' is number one hit in forty countries. We're in L.A. Now Christmas break. I have a pause on people at school staring at me all the time and I just feel really good!"

Sam nodded and looked again out of the window as Joe drove them to where the press conference was. Nearing the building they all could see the mass of fans that were screaming excitedly for Santana. Police officers were trying to hold them back obviously pretty annoyed by the fact that a single person could cause such a riot. Joe drove slowly, carefully to not run over a fan that would manage to run past the officers.

Brittany watched amused at how crazy people were being over Santana. If she hadn't met Santana she didn't know if she would be that way. Maybe she would be a big fan but not one of those who were making such a big scene. After all that was her sister's job. Stacey was still really excited when Santana came over but she had stopped being such a fan girl. But mostly it was because Stacey didn't want Brittany being mad at her for being embarrassing.

Joe was the first one to exit the car. His security team was already there, waiting for him to protect Santana and her group. As soon as they got outside of the vehicle, the screaming just seemed to increase and they were lost in a wave of flashing lights. Santana smiled and waved at her fans and she and Sam started giving some autographs.

Brittany was feeling a little bit lost when she saw Santana and Sam being busy. Holly noticed this and was in a matter of seconds next to Brittany. She smiled at the younger girl reassuringly.

"Don't be nervous. You'll get used to it."

"I hope so." Brittany replied unsurely, nodding. Holly squeezed her shoulder gently and guided her towards the entrance. They stopped when a girl grabbed Brittany's arm gently. She turned around nervously. "Yeah?"

"Would you sign my shirt?" The girl asked and Brittany's eyes widened.

"C'mon, Brittany, sign her shirt." Holly laughed and took the maker from the girl handing it Brittany. She signed the shirt earning a squeal from the girl.

Someone had asked her for an autograph. Brittany could still not process the information. People knowing her wasn't as bad as she thought. Maybe she had just been scared of unnecessary attention from the wrong people. But this girl was so excited and all Brittany had to do was sign her shirt. And she wasn't even Santana- famous. Brittany smiled at Holly. She was proud and felt extremely flattered. Now she understood why Santana enjoyed being famous- minus the little problems.

She glanced over at Santana who was giving a fan her pen back when she turned towards Brittany winking at her. She walked over to Brittany and wrapped one arm around her waist. She started guiding Brittany inside and on their way she did the same with Sam so she wouldn't look suspicious.

There was a big room with a podium. Reporters were already waiting for Santana. She walked onto the podium and took a seat at the table where there was a microphone. She smiled at the audience and waved at them politely.

"Hi." She started and reporters started raising their hands to ask questions. She pointed at the first reporter and waited for her to ask the first question.

"Santana, what can you tell us about your new album?"

"Well my new album is a piece of myself. I worked on a lot of songs myself and I am very proud of every single song on it. I hope you're going to like it as much as I do." The reporter nodded satisfied and Santana pointed to the next one.

"Are you going to go on tour after the release of the new album?"

"Yes, actually there is a world tour planned. Dates are going to be released in a few weeks." She pointed at the next one.

"We all listened to your new song 'Ocean Eyes'. Does that song have a special meaning to you?" Santana thought for a second. She has never been so glad for her skin color like now because she didn't know what she would've done if the reporters saw her flushing. She could feel the heat radiating off of her, starting from the cheeks and reaching down her neck. She cleared her throat masking her nervousness about her and Brittany's song and smiled brightly.

"All of my songs have a special meaning to me. I wrote 'Ocean Eyes' because I want everyone to have a piece of romance in their life. A song that makes your heart beat faster because it brings feelings up in you and if you felt the increasing heart beat then I say mission accomplished."

Santana was glad that she sounded so confident. Every quiver in her voice, every move and every facial expression that could look slightly different or insecure would be over- analyzed and that's how rumors began. One wrong move and the whole world would know that what she said was a lie. That the real reason she wrote the song was because she needed to express her love for Brittany.

Sometimes Santana found it sad that the world had to be so oblivious. But until she would come out publicly it had to be this way. It wasn't just Brittany who sometimes felt hurt by Santana keeping their relationship a secret. Santana was hurt as well. She was hurt because the world could sometimes be such a cruel place. People- herself included- could be so mean sometimes. But to some extent Santana could understand that. She was mean because she'd rather hurt other people than let herself get hurt. It used to be easier that way until Brittany came along and showed her that it was allowed to love and be nice. And although it was new to Santana, it wasn't as bad as she had thought.

After a couple more questions time was up. Santana sat at the piano that was on the podium and performed 'Ocean Eyes'. Brittany who was watching the whole time was beaming. She was so proud of Santana and she felt even greater when she heard Santana perform her song live and not through her ear phones. She couldn't describe how much she loved her girlfriend right now.

* * *

"Nick, don't mess this up. I want her to be the most beautiful girl on the carpet." Santana said jokingly with a hint of seriousness in her tone. "Don't disappoint me."

"Have I ever disappointed you?" Nick laughed while she applied some make- up on Brittany.

Brittany had been overwhelmed since they arrived in L.A. The big city, the busy streets, and now, Santana's home. She was used to Santana's huge house in Lima but the house in Los Angeles seemed so much bigger. And then she was surprised when she found out that Santana had her own jet. Excitement was one of the things she was feeling. Curiosity was there, too. If Santana hadn't such a tight schedule she would have taken the time to show Brittany everything:

Where she grew up, and had spent so much time while making her own happy memories. The park Holly used to take her when she was still little. The secluded part of the beach she had spent so much time with Sam and Holly during the summer. The little restaurants, that no one knew but were one of the best things L.A. had to offer. Then there was the Walk of Fame, Sunset Boulevard, and Warner Brothers studio just to let Brittany have her own experiences with this awesome city Santana loved so much.

"No, you haven't but if I were you I wouldn't start today." Santana said again and walked over to the window. She looked down to their garden. A small smile was gracing her lips and a content sigh escaped them.

"What are you thinking about?" She heard Brittany ask behind her. Santana turned around again. Brittany had her eyes closed; obviously Santana's silence was alarming her. She walked over to her girlfriend and kneeled next to the chair, taking Brittany's hand in hers.

"Nothing. I'm just excited that you're here in L.A. with me." Santana brought Brittany's hand up to her lips and placed a kiss onto the palm of it. Brittany smiled with her eyes closed, a breathy laugh escaping her lips. Nick raised an eyebrow and looked at Santana.

"Okay, am I missing something here?" She asked.

"I don't know, are you?" Santana replied letting go of Brittany's hand and walking over to her bed letting herself fall back on it.

"I always knew you weren't straight." Nick started laughing, causing Santana to shoot up to her feet. She walked again over to Nick and stared at her.

"Wait, you knew?"

"Yes, it was easy you know." Nick shrugged and continued finishing Brittany's make- up.

"How?"

"Well every time I did your make- up you were staring at my boobs whenever I had to lean over you." Santana felt her cheeks redden.

"She's blushing, isn't she?" Brittany asked with a giggle. Nick started laughing, too and nodded although Brittany couldn't see her. Santana was still embarrassed and groaned throwing herself back onto her bed while burying her face into the pillow.

"I think I like your girlfriend, Santana."

"Wait, why didn't you tell me if you knew?"

"Because those kinds of things take time. Everyone needs time to figure out their own sexuality. I didn't want to freak you out more than, I assume, you already did. It wasn't my place to call you out onto something you weren't ready to confess."

Santana buried her face into her pillow again and groaned just as Holly walked into the room followed by Sam. She was already dressed for the premier. A tight, grey pencil skirt was hugging her waist and a light pink blouse was tugged into the skirt. Her make-up had already been done. Sam was already dressed, too. He was wearing grey slacks and a matching vest. Some of the buttons of his blue button down were opened to his collar bone and the sleeves were pulled up showing off his big watch with the black leather ribbon. The scent of his cologne was lingering in the air. He was very handsome.

"What's going on?" She asked upon seeing Santana groaning into her pillow.

"Santana found out that I knew about her being gay." Holly and Sam started laughing and Sam sat next to his sister patting her back.

"Oh c'mon, Tana. It's not that bad. It's just Nick." Sam lifted her up and smiled at her reassuringly. It wasn't because of Nick knowing. It was about not being as subtle about it as Santana always thought she was. She didn't even notice staring at Nick's boobs. It was natural for her and she didn't give it a second thought until the thought of being a lesbian had crossed her mind and that was almost three months ago when she met Brittany. She nodded at Sam sighing.

"I guess." She stood up smiling and walked into her empty closet starting to strip down her sweat pants. She slipped into her dress and looked at herself into the mirror. She was pretty. The way the tight black dress was clinging to her body and the long lace sleeves showing some of her caramel skin. She liked it and she was glad that she had gotten the chance to wear it. She would never compare her beauty to Brittany's though. Because in her eyes, no one compared to her girlfriend.

Santana grabbed the red lipstick from the pocket of her sweat pants and applied it to her lips, making the finishing touch to her make-up. She rubbed her top and bottom lip against each other and with a last glance at her reflection she walked back into the room. Nick had finished Brittany's make-up and Brittany was looking down at herself. Nick had managed to make Brittany's eye color stand out more with eye liner and long lashes. The dress Santana had bought her looking prettier than it did back in Lima. Santana just stood there at the entry unable to form her thoughts into coherent words.

"Wow." Was all she managed to get out when Brittany turned around and smiled sweetly at her, a giggle escaping her lips. And all Santana thought was that Brittany was the most beautiful girl on this planet. "You look even prettier than back in Lima."

"Thank you. You're very pretty, too." Brittany smiled and extended her hand. Santana intertwined their fingers. "Are we ready to go?" Brittany looked at the rest of the group.

"Let's go." Holly clapped and they headed out.

* * *

"Are you nervous?" Santana asked Brittany when she saw her staring out of the window of their limousine. She had been quiet for a while now, sunk in deep in her thoughts. She scooted closer to Brittany and wrapped her arms around her waist. "You don't need to be. You can just stand a few feet away while I answer some questions. People are going to take some pictures of us and then we can head inside. I promise we won't stand there for long. Okay?"

"Yeah." Brittany answered and snuggled further into Santana. She buried her face into the crook of Santana's neck and inhaled deeply, letting Santana's scent calm her nerves. She felt Santana press a kiss to her hair and almost instantly her heart beat decreased.

It hopefully wouldn't be that bad. She was nervous because of the mass of people that would be there. And the waves of camera flashes and the reporters' screaming to turn around in order to get a better picture of her. She had seen enough premieres on TV to know how this was going to go down. The difference now though, was that she was in the middle of everything. The biggest problem was that whenever she would feel overwhelmed and too nervous she couldn't just grab Santana's hand. And that was terrifying.

"Besides I'll be there the entire time. And Sam and Holly, too." Santana added. "Good luck, babe." She pulled Brittany up kissing her lips before pulling away in order to get out. Flashing lights were blocking her vision as Santana stepped out of the vehicle with a big smile. She walked onto the carpet followed by her family and Brittany. Sam slung his arm around her shoulder and Santana did the same with his waist. Brittany and Holly basically remained in the background smiling and let some pictures be taken.

Santana and Sam were being interviewed by a woman on the carpet and both of them seemed as charming as ever. Brittany was proud of Santana but sometimes she felt a little bit left out. But she knew that Santana was doing her job and she was admiring her for that. Seconds later Santana appeared next to her as if she had sensed Brittany's discomforted and wrapped her arm around her waist, showing the world: 'Yes, we are best friends.'

Brittany had been so intrigued by Santana that she hadn't noticed the other celebrities being there, too. People from her favorite movies, she always dreamed about meeting were there. She felt like hyperventilating. But she was not like her sister. She would stay calm. They were just normal people like her.

"Calm down, baby." Santana whispered into Brittany's ear making Brittany shiver as Santana's warm breath hit her ear. "We're going inside in a few minutes. You're doing great. Now let's let them take a few great pictures of us to add to our collection, okay?" Brittany looked at Santana and nodded, smiling. "That's my girl."

* * *

"Wait, why are we here?" Brittany asked confused when Santana halted in front of the entry of a cemetery. Santana stood there nervously fidgeting with her ring as she stared onto the ground. At first Brittany had been really confused when Santana had pulled her into the cab instead of getting into the limousine with the rest of the family.

But Santana was quiet during the whole ride and Brittany could feel her girlfriend's nerves so she didn't talk. She watched Santana while she was obviously having an inner debate about something Brittany didn't know of. It was almost painful to watch Santana battle with her thoughts for so long. She knew she couldn't help Santana when she didn't speak and that made it unbearable. The silence was deafening. Almost too much for Brittany to bear. And she could do nothing.

"I- I wanted to show you something." Santana breathed out and looked up at the night sky. The stars were hiding behind some thick clouds and the crisp air was blowing her hair to the side. Santana wrapped her coat tighter around her and grabbed Brittany's hand, letting their fingers intertwine.

"Go ahead." Santana nodded and tugged at Brittany's hand. She led Brittany through the entry and for a while they just walked around until Santana found what she was looking for. She halted in front of two tombstones.

_Rico and Maribel Lopez_

_Beloved parents and friends._

Brittany's heart stopped when she saw where Santana had brought them. She tightened her grip on Santana's hand letting her know that she was there.

"This is the first time I'm here since the funeral." Santana's voice was shaking.

"Talk to them."

"What?"

"Talk to them, Santana."

"How do I talk to them?"

"Just say stuff you want to get off your chest. It doesn't matter if they hear you or not, just do it for yourself. I'm here holding your hand and whenever you need something just tell me."

"Okay." Santana nodded and continued staring at the tombstones in silence. How were you supposed to talk to your parents who were dead? Santana took a deep breath carefully choosing her words and trying to get her thoughts into an order.

"Hi mom. Dad." She started. She felt kind of silly for talking to a tombstone but Brittany gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and she found the courage to continue. "This is Brittany." She gestured towards her girlfriend. "She's my girlfriend. But I think you already know that. Since, you know, you can see everything, I guess. I'm actually not really good with words and feelings but I'll try.

It's sad that you'll never get the chance to meet her or Sam. Both of them are very important to me. Sam is my brother from another mother and Brittany. Well she is kind of the most precious person I've met. Holly helped me a lot with the whole feelings thing but Britt was the one starting everything. I remember when Holly asked me who Brittany was I told her that she was the one who saved me. She pulled me into an adjoining room when some crazy ass fans were chasing after me. Well back then I didn't know how true those words really were.

Now I know that Brittany saved me in more ways than one. She showed me that it was alright to feel. That it was alright to be vulnerable because that's what makes us human beings. So she kinda showed me how to be human.

When I was a child I knew I wasn't always easy. And I'm sorry for all the heart ache I caused you. Life is hard without you and I have to admit that I have thought about you more than I wanted to. It would be nice to have my daddy there when I was scared of something and it would be nice if I had my mommy braiding my hair. But I have Holly and she did a great job. Mom you had the best friend in the world and I have the greatest godmother in the world. I couldn't ask for a better parent.

I was so mad at you when you… left. You had left me behind with a bunch of questions that I now realize will never be answered, so a part of me will never find its peace because of that. You have missed so many things in my life that when I am looking at a picture of you two I feel like I am staring at two strangers. But despite all of that I have to admit that I love you and I'm sad that you won't be there when I get all those awards. When fans are screaming my name. When I feel happy. I'm at a public school now and you'll miss my graduation.

But, I guess, everything happens for a reason and now here I am standing talking to two tombstones. It feels weird but somehow it's right. I miss you and I know Holly misses you, too. I caught her going through old pictures a long time ago. But even if you aren't here anymore me and Holly, we will always have a special place for you in our hearts and one day you'll look down and point at me and say: 'Yeah that's Santana. She's our daughter and we are freaking proud of her.

But despite all of that I'm happy now. I'm content with my life and it took me a while to realize that."

Santana hadn't even realized she was crying. When Brittany reached up and wiped the tears away she snapped back into reality and turned towards her girlfriend who was crying, too. Brittany opened her arms and pulled Santana tight against her and that's all it took for Santana to start sobbing. Brittany held onto Santana's trembling frame for dear life letting her cry the last tears that had remained.

Rain had started to fall drenching the girls to their bones but neither of them cared. Although it was breaking Brittany's heart to see Santana like this the moment was perfect and Santana had finally found closure. Her parents were now a chapter she could leave behind. All the heartache was now in the past and Santana had never felt so relieved in her life.

When Santana stopped crying she looked up at Brittany. She cupped her cheeks and started wiping the moisture away. She didn't know which was from the rain and which was from the tears.

"I love you." She whispered.

"I love you, too." Brittany answered and pulled Santana closer by the waist and kissed her like she had never been kissed before.

* * *

"Shhh we have to be quiet." Santana whispered giggling as she pulled Brittany upstairs into her room. Both their clothes were clutching to their bodies because they were shivering but neither of them could be happier.

"Shit we're drenched." Santana chuckled while closing her door and stripping off her coat. Brittany mimicked her actions and soon their coats were dumped into the corner of the room wetting the floor. She walked over and turned on the bed side lamp letting the warm color of the light illuminate the dark room.

"Let me help you with your dress." Brittany said and waited till Santana's back was facing her so that she could unzip it. She brushed Santana's hair to the side. She took hold of the zipper and started pulling it down slowly revealing Santana's bare back. She stripped the dress down letting Santana step out of it. She brushed her fingers down Santana's back and pressed a kiss to her neck making Santana's breath hitch and a chill run down her spine. Her body was covered in goose bumps.

Santana turned around and captured Brittany's lips with her own. She brought her hands around Brittany's waist and unzipped her dress as well, wanting to feel Brittany's bare skin against her own. The wet fabric dropped onto the ground with a thud and Brittany slid it away with her foot. She pulled away and looked at Santana.

Both girls were standing in just their underwear in front of each other breathing heavily. Their chests rising and falling in a fast rhythm. Santana smiled shyly at Brittany and took her hand.

"I want you, Brittany." She asked making Brittany smile down at her softly. She brushed some strands off Brittany's face letting her fingers linger on her cheek.

"You have me." Brittany whispered and connected their lips again. She hooked her hands around Santana's tights and scooped her up letting Santana clasp her legs around her waist. She walked over to the bed and sat on it letting Santana straddle her lap as she wrapped her arms around her waist.

Santana's tongue brushed over Brittany's lip pleading for entrance which was granted immediately, their tongues started dancing with each other. Pulling away for oxygen, Brittany looked into Santana's orbs which were looking back at her as softly and loving as she was. Brittany brought her hands up to the hook of Santana's bra. She looked at Santana for any trace of hesitation but when she saw Santana nod in encouragement she unhooked it and dropped it next to the bed.

Brittany looked down at Santana's heaving chest noticing how her breasts were rising up and down. She lowered her lips to the valley between Santana's lips and trailed kisses on it up to Santana's collar bone and then to her neck, where she began to suck gently on Santana's pulse point. Santana threw her head back in ecstasy, a low moan escaping her lips as she let Brittany make her feel good.

She couldn't even describe how amazing everything felt. Every part of her skin Brittany touched was on fire. Her body was tingling; her stomach full of butterflies that she thought that she might have to throw up. But that feeling soon disappeared when Brittany's tongue ran over her pulse point causing her to moan again. She could already feel her arousal.

Santana cupped Brittany's cheeks making her look up at her. She pecked Brittany's lips and the she proceeded to unclasp her girlfriend's bra. A small giggle erupted from Brittany's throat when she saw Santana staring at her bare chest. She took Santana's hands and brought them up slowly to her breasts. She placed them directly on her chest. Santana could feel Brittany's heart hammering against her chest matching her own wild pace.

She brushed her finger slowly over Brittany's nipple causing it to stiffen, and with the other hand she started massaging the other breast. She lowered her lips to Brittany's neck kissing and trailing her tongue down to her collarbone and then to Brittany's breasts. She kissed them before finding the courage to take one of Brittany's nipples into her mouth sucking on it gently. Brittany threw her head back moaning and Santana smirked at the fact that she could drive her girlfriend as crazy as she was driving her.

She unattached her mouth from Brittany's breasts and brought it up to Brittany's lips taking her bottom lip between hers. She wrapped her arms around Brittany's neck and pulled her down on top of her. Every part of their bodies were touching as the smacking sounds of their lips echoed through the room. Brittany lowered her lips again to Santana neck and kissed her way down to Santana's breasts giving them the same treatment Santana had given her chest earlier.

Chills were running down Santana's back as she felt Brittany's hot breath against her torso. Her back arched when she felt Brittany flicker her tongue over nipple, letting the girl explore every inch of her body. Brittany ran her hands down Santana's sides and placed her arms around Santana's thighs. She continued her path of kisses and licks down Santana's abs towards her thighs, where she started placing butterfly kisses everywhere she could get her lips on.

Santana looked down at Brittany, their eyes locking as Brittany hooked her fingers around the waistband of Santana's panties and started pulling them down slowly. She threw Santana's panties onto the floor followed by her own. Kneeling on the bed she looked down at Santana who was examining Brittany's body till she reached the girl blue eyes and she smiled softly.

"You're so damn gorgeous, Santana." She breathed causing Santana to blush. Santana grabbed Brittany's hands and pulled her back on top of her letting their lips connect again. When Brittany's center made contact with Santana's, Santana bucked her hips wanting more contact and another moan escaped her throat.

"Britt…" She breathed out. Brittany slowly traced her fingers down Santana's torso till she reached Santana's center feeling the heat radiate. Brittany locked her eyes with Santana as she looked down at her and then she ran a finger through Santana's pooled wetness causing Santana to arch her back and moan. She started rubbing Santana's bundle of nerves slowly without averting her eyes, wanting to see every single one of Santana's expressions and movements.

The way Santana's eyes were rolling into the back of her head while she arched her back whenever Brittany applied some pressure onto Santana's clit. The way her cheeks were flushed and her heavy breath hitting Brittany's face every time she caused Santana to moan. And the way Santana's moans were getting louder with every time they erupted from her. Brittany found it incredibly mesmerizing, beautiful and erotic.

Brittany brought her finger to Santana's entrance teasing it for a while as she studied Santana's face for any sign of hesitation and entered her for the first time when she couldn't find any. Brittany looked at Santana as a flash of uncomfortableness flashed over face while she was getting used to Brittany's fingers inside of her. Her eyes were clenched shut. Brittany lowered her lips to Santana's cheek and pecked it lightly.

"Look at me, love." She whispered. Santana opened her eyes and saw nothing but love and tenderness in Brittany's eyes and she relaxed instantly. She nodded showing that she was okay and Brittany smiled down at her sweetly before kissing Santana once more.

"Brittany." Santana moaned as Brittany started thrusting her finger in and out in a steady rhythm. Santana was feeling overwhelmed by all the pleasure she was receiving. Brittany felt so good inside her, but she wanted more and so she breathed out a 'more'. Brittany pecked Santana's lips and added another finger while flicking her thumb over Santana's clit.

"God." Santana moaned, her back arching and her fingers clenching the sheets beneath her into her fists. Brittany increased her pace wanting to satisfy Santana even more and she soon felt the walls around her fingers tightening. She brought her lips down to Santana's ear.

"I love you. Come for me, Santana." She breathed and then she felt Santana tumble over the edge loud moans echoing through the room and she just hoped that no one heard them, but it wouldn't matter anyway. She concentrated on Santana as she looked down at her, seeing the girl ride out her orgasm. She then buried her head into Brittany's shoulder and bit down causing Brittany to gasp loudly as she felt Santana's teeth graze her skin more than once and she knew that this was going to bruise.

Brittany pulled her fingers out of Santana when she saw Santana trying to catch her breath. She wiped her fingers dry on the sheets and placed her head onto Santana's chest listening to her heart beat rapidly against her ribcage. Santana wrapped her arms around Brittany and placed a kiss to her hair.

"I love you, too. Sometimes it scares me how much." Santana said after a while. She turned them around so that she could be on top of Brittany and gazed down at her lovingly with a smile. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For entering my life." She placed her lips onto Brittany's grazing them against each other and bit down on Brittany's bottom lip. She let her fingers trail down to Brittany's center only to be stopped by Brittany's hand grabbing her wrist.

"We have all the time for that, love. This was about you." She said kissing Santana once more and pulled Santana down letting her head rest against her chest. She wrapped her arms around Santana's torso securely and let a content sigh escape her lips. Santana smiled and let everything sink in. She couldn't imagine her first time be more beautiful than that and she couldn't ask for a better girlfriend than Brittany.

She reached over to her bedside table and switched off her lamp letting the darkness engulf them. Pulling the sheets over their naked torsos Santana snuggled back into Brittany and closed her eyes contently.

"Brittany, let's come out after the holidays." She said after a while of silence hoping that Brittany was still wide awake. She felt Brittany tighten her grip around her and even though it was dark Santana knew that Brittany was beaming.

"You sure?"

"I've never been so sure of anything in my life." Santana replied and seconds later she felt sleep overcome her senses and she fell into the most peaceful slumber. Brittany just wanted to scream from roof tops because right now she was the happiest person alive and she knew that Santana was, too. And with a big smile on her face she fell into unconsciousness her arms wrapped around Santana safely.

* * *

**A/N Hey guys thank you for all your reviews :) So because I'm stressed the last few weeks I won't be able to post for a while so I'm taking a break. I'll post the next chapter around February I think. Plus I wanted to edit previous chapters. **

**Let me know what you think either her or on my tumblr: kissinglips95. tumblr. com**


	20. Chapter 20: Temporary Bliss

**Chapter 20: Temporary Bliss**

* * *

A thick layer of snow was covering everything. It was still snowing, the little snowflakes gliding slowly and elegantly to the ground. The trees were covered in white causing the scenery to look like a picture. The lights of the lanterns caused the snow to glitter like thousands of tiny diamonds. Santana couldn't remember the last time she had seen snow. It didn't snow that often in L.A. And when it did she used to be the happiest kid alive. Holly used to take her outside and they would build a snowman. Sometimes even a whole snowman family. They gave them names and then they made up little stories for each one of them.

Sometimes her abuela would come with them and she would sit on a bench and laugh at the silly stories Holly and Santana came up with. She liked those memories. She started cherishing them after she grew up and started realizing everything. And now, where she was conscious and smart enough to understand everything, it hurt so much more.

She shouldn't take everything for granted, even if she could have everything. The things that mattered could disappear just as quickly as they came.

Now, like every other year, she would be over at her abuela's and having a break from fans and her career. When people asked her during interviews what she was looking forward to do during the Christmas season she always answered with: 'Spending time with my family and being lazy'. But now she didn't look forward to anything. She just wanted to curl up into her bed and spend Christmas Eve in silence, engulfed by darkness and the only light source being the lights of Lima.

Not even Brittany had time. She was busy with her family and Quinn's family celebrating Christmas. And Santana was left alone. The scent of cinnamon filling the house didn't help one bit. Holly was downstairs doing her best to make Christmas a joyful experience despite the painful memory of Alma rejecting her granddaughter.

Santana sighed and tried to pull herself together while she sat up on her bed, her torso wrapped tightly in a blanket. She didn't want to cry. She had done enough of that for the rest of her life. She wouldn't allow herself to even if she needed it, which she didn't. That still didn't change the way she was feeling inside. But besides all of that she had never been happier in her life.

She had seen the pictures of the premier in magazines and on the internet and besides all the great pictures with Holly and Sam there was one she loved the most. The one where she was with Brittany. They were looking at each other smiling and Santana absolutely loved that picture. A tiny smile ghosted over her lips.

The weekend in L.A. had been amazing. Especially when she felt confident enough and so emotionally connected to Brittany that she let her love her. She could still feel Brittany lips ghosting over every inch of her body causing tingles to run through her. The lingering touches on her torso and the brushing of cold fingertips on her stomach. How Brittany explored every dip and curve of Santana's body. A content sigh escaped Santana's lips while she slipped her cell into the pocket of her sweatpants and made her way downstairs.

The kitchen was a huge mess when she arrived there and sat on one of the bar stools. Holly was in overdrive trying to multitask. She wasn't exactly stressed, but neither was she relaxed. She was in weird mode and that was a mixture of wanting to freak out and to be calm as ever. Santana shot her a confused look before grabbing one of the fresh cinnamon cookies that were on a silver platter.

"Santana, stop eating the cookies. We will eat soon." Holly said without turning around. Santana's confusion increased. Sometimes Holly was psychic.

"Why are you even cooking that much? It's just you, Sam, Shelby and I. Speaking of Sam, where is he anyway and you know we could just order pizza. We don't need turkey or all of these pastries." She took a bite from her cookie, her eyes rolling into the back of her head because of its heavenly taste.

"Except from these cinnamon cookies. They're too delicious." Santana added with her mouth stuffed.

That's when she noticed Holly's attire. Pencil skirt, high heels and one of her nicest blouses. Besides the apron Holly was looking flawless. Was she really out to confuse Santana today?

"Um, Holly? What's with the outfit?" Finally Holly turned around and looked at Santana.

"I want you to go upstairs wear something nice. You have enough time to take a shower if you want to. It's Christmas Eve, I want a nice dinner. And enough with the questions. I need to finish cooking." Santana nodded still confused and hopped off the stool. Grabbing one last cookie she disappeared upstairs into her bathroom in order to get ready.

Honestly she didn't know why Holly was making such a fuss over everything. It was just the four of them and they really didn't need such a big meal. Santana would have just been content with lying lazily around on the sofa drinking hot cocoa and watching Christmas movies until they all fell asleep. She just wanted to enjoy the holiday and not let Holly stress out over dinner.

Santana shook her head sighing and stripped her clothes off her body just to step into the awaiting warm water. She let the water run down her body longer than she needed to but it was just too calming. She could practically feel the stress of the last weeks wash off her and when she was satisfied with everything she wrapped a towel around her torso and made her way into her room, her bare feet leaving wet prints onto the floor.

She slipped into one of her tight, long sleeved dresses and stepped into her high heels. By the time she was finished with her make- up and everything and went downstairs the door to their dining room had been opened and the table was set. Just the food was missing and for a moment Santana wondered why there were more plates and silverware than they needed. But before she could ask the doorbell rang.

"Got it." Santana shouted and walked over to the door only to be greeted by Sam with a huge smile. She stepped aside in order to let him in but her jaw dropped when he wasn't the only one coming inside: Blaine, Brittany (and her family), Shelby, Quinn (and her mom).

"What are you guys doing here?" She smiled and closed the door.

"Holly invited them over. And since Kurt's missing and Blaine's family doesn't really celebrate Christmas I invited him, too." Sam answered and let everyone hand him their coats. Holly stepped out of the kitchen and greeted everyone. They still needed to get to know each other but Santana was optimistic. Brittany smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Hey." She smiled.

"Hey yourself, beautiful." Santana answered making Brittany blush. She giggled lightly and then hugged Blaine. Suddenly she was really glad that Sam had made her buy him a present because that would have been a bit awkward. His excuse was he helped her a lot so why not thanking him properly. Little did she know that they were going to have Christmas dinner together. But no matter how surprised she was, Santana loved it.

She grabbed Brittany's hand and led all the teenagers into the living room while the adults went into the kitchen. Judy was not taking a 'no' for an answer when she asked Holly if she needed help and Jeanette was the same.

"Cute sweater." Santana laughed at Brittany's black sweater with snowflakes and reindeer patterns on it. "You're a dork." She said and lowered herself onto Brittany's lap where she had taken a seat on the armchair.

"I have the same sweater for you."

Brittany smiled when she saw Santana's eyes widening and before anyone could say anything Brittany disappeared and reappeared seconds later with the same sweater and her camera in her hands. Santana tried to ignore the chuckles she received from Sam although she ended up glaring at him and he shut up. Brittany handed her the sweater and Santana looked at it as she ran her hands over the fabric. She glanced up at Brittany who was smiling down at her reassuringly and Santana just couldn't say no, so she pulled the sweater over her dress.

Brittany's smile was so big Santana thought that her face would crack in half but then Brittany lowered herself onto Santana's lap and pulled her into a kiss by wrapping her arms around Santana's neck. She jumped up again handing the camera Sam and sat back onto Santana's lap and let him take pictures of them.

"Thanks for wearing it." Santana just nodded not really sure what she wanted to say. To her luck the rest of the adults started carrying food to the dining room and a few minutes later they were all seated at the large table filled with delicious smelling food.

Laughter and joyful cries were filling the dining room accompanied by Michael Bublé's Christmas songs as everyone enjoyed their meal. Santana looked around to smiling faces and she felt her chest fill with happiness.

Sometimes there is this moment where you just feel perfect. Nothing or no one is there to destroy that feeling in you. In that moment the world just stands still. You're in a bubble with all the people that are important to you and you know that they share the same feeling because you can see it in their faces. You can see those smiles that seem to get bigger every time you glance at them. You can hear the joy in their voices and you can feel the warmth in their gazes whenever your eyes meet. It's just perfect and it is one of those moments that will stay in your memory forever.

Santana just felt herself giggling along as she sipped on her wine she was allowed to drink because it was Christmas. She grabbed Brittany's hand and intertwined their fingers. She reached over and placed a kiss to Brittany's cheek just because she could. Just because she didn't care and just because she didn't need a reason to kiss Brittany. She just could do it without hearing dumb comments. Without having to suppress the urge to punch the paparazzi that would take thousands of pictures of her. She just could kiss Brittany and enjoy the moment without anyone annoying her or being a complete pain in the ass.

She absolutely loved that feeling and she wished that she could just stay forever in that bubble. With Brittany and Sam and all the others sitting at the table. Blaine was talking to Shelby about music and Jeanette, Judy and Holly were acting as if they had been friends for ever. Sometimes it was easy to make friends. And Holly had never had difficulties.

Santana sipped her wine again before taking her knife and tapping it to the glass causing everyone to turn their attention to Santana. She stood up and smiled at all of them.

"I would like to say something. First I want to thank everyone for coming today. Thank you Holly for this delicious dinner. You've outdone yourself as always. Umm… I'm really happy that we're all gathered here today and I really couldn't imagine a better way to celebrate Christmas. I hope that we can celebrate New Year's Eve together as well.

This year was a really interesting one. Many things happened that I wished never happened and many things are just perfect." Santana said as she glanced down at Brittany who smiled back at her lovingly.

"And no matter what, I wouldn't change anything about this year because I really got some things that I would never ever replace. That's all I have to say, thanks for listening. Merry Christmas." Santana raised her glass and after everyone raised their glasses, too, they exchanged 'Merry Christmases' and went back to eating.

"You said that really nicely." Brittany whispered when Santana sat back again.

"Thanks." Santana smiled and pecked her girlfriend's lips. "It's true though. I wouldn't change a thing."

* * *

"So Sam and I are just sitting in the living room watching TV and Holly comes inside. She turns off the TV and we look at her confused because we have no idea what she wants. We wait for a while because she is silent and then she starts telling us that she doesn't know how much we actually know about sex, STDs and stuff like that so she wants to make sure we are prepared. But she's Holly and she never does things the way normal people do it. Because normal is too mainstream. Then suddenly she says 'Everything starts with a touch' and then she suddenly grabbed a chair…"

Santana pulled a chair in front of everyone who was gathered around the living room enjoying Christmas Eve together. They didn't know how long they were sitting there but they had been sharing stories for that amount of time. Sam smiled and stood up mimicking Santana actions to show everyone. She sat down on it the backwards and nodded at Sam smiling.

"So as I said she took that chair and then out of nowhere she started singing 'Do you wanna touch' and doing all these gestures." She stopped explaining and started imitating with Sam a few of Holly moves while humming to the song causing everyone to laugh.

"Sam and I were sitting on the sofa looking slightly awkward because, I don't know. You don't really wanna see your godmother dancing like that. But it's cool. We learned everything and she explained it better than any other person would. And I actually listened."

Everyone laughed at the story and Holly just shrugged smiling, explaining that she needed to show them somehow. Santana stood up and hugged her godmother telling her that she loved her although sometimes she was crazy.

Holly only laughed and nodded. Somehow she felt really good. She was proud of herself for having done such a well job with Santana and Sam. Both teenagers had turned out great. She could see it in their behavior. She could see how happy they were when they smiled and goofed around. Santana had developed especially great. Even if Brittany was the cause of all the changes.

Sometimes she was worried. If Brittany was the reason for all the good changes she could also be the reason for bad changes. Not that there were any. But no one really knew what would happen in the future. Something could always happen. Especially now when, Santana's job started occupying most of her time. It wouldn't take long for it to cause problems. Holly believed in Santana and Brittany, though. She had faith in their relationship but Holly was a mother and she couldn't help but think of all the possibilities.

She stopped thinking about it. It was Christmas and it was not the time for any worries she might have. She checked the time. It was midnight and officially Christmas. She walked over to Santana and wrapped her up into a hug.

"Merry Christmas, honey."

"Merry Christmas, Holly."

* * *

"My turn." Santana said and walked over to the tree and taking all the presents she had gotten. She kneeled in front of Sam and Holly who were sitting next to each other. She took a red medium sized box from the pile and opened it carefully revealing an expensive looking silver watch.

"This was my dad's watch. It was in the back of my closet and I don't want it to be there anymore. You're important to me Sam and I want you to have it." She took the watch out of the box and grabbed Sam's wrist gently. She slipped the watch on and looked at it.

She could still remember the feeling she had when she walked into her closet in order to get the box out of the furthest corner in there. It was dusty and it was still taped closed from all the years it had been stored somewhere in the back of all the other closets Santana had ever owned. She always dragged it with her but she never dared to open it until then. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest from all the memories in the box she didn't own.

She had brushed the dust off of the box and had opened it with trembling hands. She had looked at every shirt that was left from her dad and underneath every piece of clothing was a small box with jewelry. Some of Santana's mother's necklaces were there and her dad's wedding ring and watch.

Sam didn't say anything he just stared at Santana and wrapped his arms around her because right now he just didn't know what to say besides 'thank you'. Holly also got jewelry and a framed picture of herself and Santana's mother when they were teenagers. Blaine got a navy blue bow tie with his initials stitched into it in silver. Quinn got a dress and Stacey got VIP pass for Santana's entire world tour. All Santana got in response was an ear piercing squeal and bone crushing hug that she could still feel.

When it was Brittany's turn to get her present Santana smiled at her girlfriend and lowered herself next to her in front of the fire place. She placed an envelope and a blue velvet box next to her before grabbing Brittany's hand and bringing it up to her lips, placing a soft kiss onto her knuckles. She watched for a while as her thumb grazed the back of Brittany's hand softly and then she brought her gaze back up to crystal blue eyes that looked back at her gently. They twinkled as the fire spit next to them spreading warmth through their bodies.

After a while Santana exhaled slowly her lips curling up into a smile that showed her teeth. Brittany giggled, leaning over to press her lips against Santana's for a quick peck. Santana's eyes fluttered closed and remained that way when Brittany pulled away, almost as if she was trying to remember the taste of Brittany's lips as she grazed her tongue over her plump lips. No one in the room seemed to mind. They all watched the silent conversation between the two girls completely in awe of how two people could manage to feel so connected without words. Mrs. Pierce was almost crying. Her hand was pressed over her heart and a proud smile grazed her lips which matched the one of Mr. Pierce. Holly leaned into Sam and whispered into his ear how cute they were. He responded with a nod without averting his eyes from his sister while he felt his girlfriend squeezing his hand tighter.

Santana reached over to the spot next to her where she had placed the last two presents. She took the dark envelope and played with it for a while before handing it to Brittany. Brittany opened it eagerly but at the same time slowly to not rip the envelope. She slid her fingers under the lid of the envelope and opened it slowly, revealing a certificate for owning a star.

Brittany read over the document. Written on it was the time and the date the star would be the best visible. The distance and the position it could be seen with a telescope. And when Brittany read the name of the star she felt like shouting out loud. She placed the document next to her, carefully to not knit it and the she wrapped her arms around Santana's neck excitedly.

"Santana, that's awesome. Thank you so much." Brittany pulled away before cupping Santana's cheeks and kissing her tenderly. "This is the best present ever." She whispered against Santana's lips.

"I know how much you like stars and to be honest I was hesitating when I had to choose the name. I wanted it to be special for you but I wanted it to show you how much I love you. So I decided to name it 'Brittana'." Santana smiled. "Oh and Sam practically forced me to name it 'Brittana' and not 'Santittany'."

"Thank god you have Sam." Brittany started laughing.

"But I have something else for you. I wasn't sure if the star was enough." Santana grabbed the velvet box and held it up. "Remember when you gave me your 'B'?" She asked and Brittany nodded.

"Well I still wear it every day." Santana pulled the necklace out of her sweater and let it dangle around her neck. "I wanted you to have something, too. Something that shows that you're mine without the need of people to figure it out. It's just an inconspicuous charm but it means so much more than that."

Santana opened the velvet box revealing its content to Brittany. It was a silver charm bracelet. There was an 'S' hanging from it, a red heart and a unicorn. Santana took it out of the box. She grabbed Brittany's wrist gently and fastened the bracelet around it.

"The heart and the unicorn was just a bonus because the letter was looking so lonely. You can add more charms. Maybe if you travel somewhere you can add a new charm that shows that you were there or-" Santana was cut off by Brittany's lips. She wrapped her arms around Brittany's waist and let Brittany grin into the kiss until she needed oxygen.

"I love it. I love you."

"I love you, too, Britt."

"Okay, now I have something for you." Brittany smiled and walked over to the tree, grabbing her present for Santana. She sat back next to her girlfriend and handed it to her. Santana unwrapped the present carefully.

Brittany had made a scrapbook. It was a black leather book with 'Santana & Brittany' written in silver on it. Santana opened the first page. The first picture was the first one they had taken together after Santana had dropped off Brittany after the party with all the glee club members. It wasn't the original picture. It was a copy made on photo paper so that it was bigger. Underneath it was written with a silver pen on the black page the date and the time of the picture.

Santana skipped through the picture occasionally pointing out some things. There were some pictures of her sleeping with Brittany smiling next to her and she hadn't even realized it. Upon asking Brittany she just shrugged and said that Santana was just too cute when she was sleeping. Santana had just laughed and kissed Brittany's cheek.

The last two pages of the scrapbook where empty but there was written something on them. 'our first kiss under the mistletoe' and 'our first kiss on New Year's Eve'. Santana knew that they had two pictures to take until the scrapbook would be finished. And she smiled at Brittany because this was the best present anyone could have ever gotten her.

This Christmas Eve was better than she would've imagined.

* * *

Everyone was asleep by now. The huge house was filled with silence. A peaceful silence that danced around the rooms and hallways while the scent of Christmas lingered in the air. The only sound echoing through the second floor was the soft tunes of the piano filling the peaceful silence with beautiful melodies.

The shadows of the candles lit up the room with the thick curtains hanging in front of the windows like a shield protecting them from everything outside. The coldness, the judgment and all the negative feelings no one had time for during Christmas. Shadows cast around the room causing a comfortable atmosphere filled the room as Santana slowly played some classic songs with Brittany sitting next to her, watching her as if she was the best thing in the world.

It was this awe struck face and the adoring look that cast Brittany's features while she watched Santana in her element, showing her another side of herself. Brittany had a lazy smile plastered onto her glowing face, looking all the more beautiful while the tiny flames of the candles reflected in her blue eyes causing them to look even more breathtaking.

Santana glanced slowly at Brittany as the song became quieter and eventually coming to an end. Her fingers lingered onto the keys before she took them off the piano and taking Brittany's hand instead.

"Did you have a nice Christmas Eve?" Brittany asked quietly, afraid that she would disturb the peaceful moment if she talked too loud, so she settled for a volume just above a whisper.

"The best Christmas I've ever had. Thanks again." Santana replied with a big smile. She looked down at her lap, at hers and Brittany's enlaced hands.

"Why are you so shy today? Didn't you have fun?" Brittany asked concerned and tilted Santana's chin up to get a better look.

"No, no." Santana replied quickly because that wasn't the reason at all. "It's just… I'm so happy I don't know how to deal with it. It feels like I have so much happiness inside me and I don't know what to do with it. There's only so much happiness I can take without thinking that it will disappear at anytime. But the fact that it won't makes me happier and then I have the same problem."

Brittany giggled silently, her body vibrating until her giggling was replaced by a soft smile. Cupping Santana's cheeks she lowered her lips onto Santana's letting them brush barely against each other. She breathed the same air Santana did, she had the same feeling Santana had and her heart was beating as fast as Santana's was.

"For as long as you'll have me, I'll make sure that you're the happiest girl alive." Brittany whispered against Santana's lips and with that she planted a sweet kiss on them.

"Your presence is enough to keep me happy for a lifetime, Britt." Santana said when their lips parted. She stood up and took Brittany's hand again. She helped her girlfriend up and started leading Brittany to her bedroom. All the while making sure that all the candles had been blown out.

Pieces of clothing started lining all the way from the piano room down to Santana's room. Ever so gently Santana had begun to remove Brittany's clothing layer after layer, all the while her own clothes following.

Lips moved gently against each other, heartbeats quickened with every patting sound their bare feet let echo through the dark hall, with every inch of skin lips and hands caught. Bodies started feeling like they were on fire, thoughts were clouded while the only things Santana and Brittany concentrated on were their touches, the kisses and the feeling they got while spending time with each other.

Santana was nervous as she moved Brittany to her bed until the back of her legs hit the edge of it. She guided her gently down without parting their lips. She didn't know how long she was kissing Brittany but she was intoxicating and Santana was slowly starting to get drunk.

Brittany was messing with her senses. Santana was more aware of everything that revolved around her girlfriend. Her burning fingertips as she brushed them along Brittany's ribs and hipbone, trying to memorize every little curve and dip of Brittany and the feeling of Brittany's skin against her own. Her heart, that she was sure was just a matter of time until it would jump out of her chest from the pace it was hammering. The scent of Brittany that was clouding Santana's mind and her ears that received every tiny moan and whimper that escaped Brittany's lips as Santana continued peppering her body with kisses.

She wanted to burn the picture of Brittany naked and beautiful and close to her into her brain. She never wanted to forget it. She wanted to hear Brittany whisper her name over and over again. Santana would never get tired of it, she was sure. She was sure that the way Brittany was now would always stay in her memory. The hushed whispers, the heavy breathing, the whimpering and the moaning.

It was even more exciting when all the touching turned into soft thrusts. Hesitant at the beginning because Santana wasn't sure if she was doing it right. But when Brittany's back arched off the bed and a moaned 'faster' echoed through the room she knew that she was doing something right.

There was something about Brittany's eyes that kept fluttering shut with every stroke and thrust. They weren't crystal blue anymore- they were dark with lust and arousal. Santana's attention was focused on them. It seemed like they held every answer to every question in the world. Santana was drowning in them as they kept looking back at her.

It didn't take long for Brittany to turn into a sweaty mess as she fell apart. Moans and Santana's name echoing through Santana's room. Santana kept repeating 'I love yous' until Brittany's breathing returned back to normal and the moans subsided. Brittany then cupped Santana's cheeks and pulled her down for a kiss.

"I love you, too."

It wasn't until the sun was starting to rise that Santana and Brittany curled up exhausted into Santana's sheets. And when Brittany fell asleep curled into Santana's embrace, Santana decided to show some happiness to the world. She grabbed her phone and typed half asleep a message for all of her fans.

'Merry Christmas everyone. May all your wishes come true.'

Because Santana's had already come true.

* * *

"Okay, two minutes left." Jeanette shouted as she looked at her watch. Everyone who was at Santana's house on Christmas, were now invited to the Pierces. Minus Blaine, he was spending New Year's Eve with Kurt and the rest of the Hummel – Hudson family.

All the guests gathered in the back yard, Santana gripping Brittany's hand tightly because not only was it their first New Year's Eve together but they had also a scrapbook to finish and both of them were looking forward to place one of thousands of memories to come into one of many more scrapbooks to come.

Santana laughed loudly because she was too happy to care about anything.

"Last year on New Year's Eve Sam tripped and fell on his ass right when the countdown ended. I hope this year is going to start better for him."

"Santana, are you telling the New Year's story again?" Sam shouted playfully.

"This is how every year should start like." Santana continued laughing which was joined by Brittany and Quinn.

"Five, four…" Jeanette and Elijah started shouting, interrupting the playful bickering of the two siblings. Brittany turned towards Santana and grabbing her by the waist she started pulling her closer.

"Three, two…" With every digit Brittany inched her face closer to Santana's until they were was barely space between them.

"One…" Santana breathed out and Brittany's lips crashed into hers. After pulling away Santana smiled up at Brittany.

"I take that back. This is how every year should start like."

* * *

"I swear to god I'm going to kill you one day." Santana groaned as she did her crunches. Shelby had ordered fitness time because she had to start practicing for her upcoming tour and events at talk shows. She had been busy with school and Brittany.

It wasn't that she had gotten out of shape. Whenever she had the time she did her work out and then Brittany and her had their own work out but it still wasn't enough. She hadn't worked out in a long while and now she scolded herself when she felt her muscles burning.

"I'm not even sure why I'm paying you. I fucking hate you." Santana continued grumbling. Sweat was running down from her forehead and her sports bra was already drenched. Tom her fitness coach was holding her by the ankles, steadying her as she pulled herself up over and over again. All he did was laugh. His deep throaty laugh he always laughed when Santana was scolding him. He was used to it by now.

"That makes twenty more for being rude." He laughed again and ran his hand through his short, dark hair before gripping Santana's ankle again.

"God, I fucking hate you."

"That's what the other celebrities I train say, too but after having a banging body they stop complaining."

"Whatever." Santana grumbled and hoisted herself up once more. Tom released his grip and sat back. Santana grabbed a towel and started wiping the sweat off her forehead before letting the towel hang around her neck. She looked at herself in the mirrors covering the walls of their own private gym and ran her fingertips along her defined abs just like Brittany had done days ago. She smiled and grabbed her water bottle.

"C'mon, let's go upstairs I have to catch a flight back to L.A." Tom said and grabbed his gym bag. Santana just followed him silently upstairs. She walked him to the door and with a wave and a smile he disappeared to go back to the airport.

She took a few swigs from her bottle and walked back into the kitchen. It was weird when she saw Sam, Holly and Shelby sitting at the kitchen island looking down at their cups of whatever they were drinking. When she entered the room with an eyebrow raised everyone looked up at her.

None of them were smiling. They were looking at her almost sorry. The tension was palpable. Santana was sure that she could cut it with a knife if she tried to.

"What's going on here?" Santana asked. Holly looked down and shook her head as if she was afraid of something.

"Sit down, Santana." Shelby ordered and if it didn't sound so serious Santana wouldn't have sat down as fast as she did. It was seconds later when Shelby slid a magazine over the counter closer to Santana.

For a moment Santana thought that her heart had stopped beating and the next second she had lost the ability to breathe.

'**How to become famous: Step No. 1: Seduce Santana Lopez'**

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**A/N Hey guys. Thanks for your patience and all your lovely reviews. It took me a while but here's the new chap. I'll try to post every week again but I'm not promising anything. **

**I hope you enjoyed and let me know what you think, either here or on my tumblr: kissinglips95. tumblr. com**


	21. Chapter 21: Lies

**Chapter 21: Lies**

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'_Who's been hiding in the closet for so long? _

_Have a guess. Our beloved singer Santana Lopez. _

_To all the guys… Well we're sorry. Seems like you missed your chances._

_We have spotted Santana with BFF Brittany Pierce more than once together. Santana takes her to her movie premieres and we have seen her at Santana's last concert of her tour last year._

_But the thing is that Santana and Brittany are a lot closer than we all would've thought. While everyone thought that Santana and Sam Evans were an item, now we know why they aren't dating. _

_Santana Lopez plays for the other team. And the fact that Sam's currently dating Brittany's cheerleader friend Quinn might also be a reason._

_Santana has always been a really private person when it comes to her relationships and in general her life outside of the media and business. But we managed to get some rear pictures of Santana outside of glitz and glam._

_We have spotted Santana with her girlfriend being all lovey- dovey and may we add that you two look adorable together. Also we assume that 'Ocean Eyes'- current top hit from Santana's new album 'Stardust' which has given us some great new songs and hit after releasing it, number one in the charts internationally- is dedicated to girlfriend Brittany who also has ocean blue eyes. That's so sweet! We didn't know that you could be such a sweetheart, Santana._

_But as much as we love your sweet lady lovin' it seems like only one is into the relationship. _

_Our sources have been telling us that as much as Brittany seems to love Santana this is all just an act. "Brittany is just using Santana in order to become famous." says our source._

_Brittany you are one smart girl and Santana as much as we love and adore you, you've been blinded by love. So we'd say Brittany: Mission accomplished! Everyone knows your name now._

_And Santana, chin up, maybe you could play golf with Ellen DeGeneres someday in order to forget your heartache.'_

* * *

She was seeing red. Her anger was running through her body faster than anything. It made her blood boil. It caused her to clench her jaw and fists tightly until her knuckles turned white. Until her nails were digging half-moons into her skin. Until she couldn't feel anything anymore.

She wasn't sure if she'd been ever so mad or angry in her life before. Humiliated, stupid, mad, angry. Those were just a few feelings cursing through her body.

"Santana?" Shelby interrupted Santana from her inner mess. Santana looked up angrily at her manager. She fisted the magazine and threw it across the kitchen. She took a deep breath, her chest rising for a long moment until she exhaled too calmly for this situation. She opened her mouth to say something. Her words were starting to get stuck in her throat, unsure in how to deal with everything right now. She closed her mouth again and pressed her hand to her forehead instead. Her lips were sucked into her mouth while she started pacing through the kitchen in front of her family.

Sam was shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Alarmed by Santana's too calm behavior. He gripped his coffee mug tighter and started staring holes into it, too afraid of Santana's belated reaction to the article. Holly was looking worriedly at Santana, following her with her gaze and when Santana came to a halt abruptly and turned towards them Holly startled.

There was fury in Santana's eyes, no matter how calm she seemed on the outside. She was starting to suppress her feelings again. But Holly could see from how Santana's clenched fists were trembling in rage and gritted her teeth how furious she really was. Holly's gaze followed Santana's trembling hands that Santana placed onto the kitchen island slowly.

For a moment she wondered how the kitchen had become the place where all the news was delivered. This was the place where they had told Santana that the paparazzi had found her in Lima, this was where they had always gathered after something had happened or was about to happen. It felt weird that the space where they ate and cooked was filled with so many memories, news and emotions from which neither were always happy and joyful.

The room was silent while everyone was anticipating Santana's reaction. It was almost too silent. It was somehow piercing and it didn't feel like silence at all. Silence shouldn't feel loud and deafening but it did and somehow that was one factor contributing to everyone's anxiousness.

"Why are you even getting paid?" Santana started slowly, breaking the silence. Her voice was low and icy and surprisingly calm for the anger she was feeling. A chill ran down Sam's spine at Santana's demeanor. He looked up from his mug just to see the same icy stare in her eyes. Gone was the fury from minutes ago.

"It is your fucking job." She continued, looking down at her still trembling hands. She clenched them back into fists in order to stop them from trembling. She stared down as her shaking fingers closed down into her wrist and the she looked up again at Shelby.

"It is your fucking job." Santana shouted this time causing everyone in the silent room to jump. "It is your fucking job to remove this shit from the media. Are you aware of the fact that not only is that incredibly humiliating, that this is throwing a bad light on everything I've ever worked for? It is your fucking job to not let things slip!"

"Santana, I didn't know what was happening until it was published. I tried to remove it after it was published. I tried to do damage control but it is all over the media. Internet, TV, tabloids, magazines. Everything! And not only in the U.S."

If it was supposed to calm Santana down and make everything better then Shelby did a crappy job and Holly shot her a disapproving look. She shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose.

The saddest part was it wasn't only the article. It was also the fact that there were pictures in it, too. On the front cover a picture of Santana kissing Brittany when she was sitting in the shopping cart. There was a picture of Santana dropping off Brittany while holding open the door for her girlfriend. Pictures she had posted on Twitter, pictures of the premier where they were speaking to each other. Every picture was of them caught in the most intimate moment.

This was a huge intrusion into her privacy. Not only in hers, but also in Brittany's. Santana felt violated.

She stood up abruptly, her bar stool falling over because of the force. She picked up the magazine from the corner it had landed when she threw it and ran upstairs. Minutes later she appeared again dressed in sweats and a hoodie. Her shades were already placed on her nose shielding every emotion her eyes might give away.

"Where are you going?" Holly jumped up and followed Santana outside. "You can't just leave. You do know that everyone is in Lima now trying to get pictures? At least wait until Joe gets here. Santana, please!"

But Santana didn't listen. She just continued walking quickly into the garage. She unlocked her car and climbed into it.

"Santana! Don't do something you'll regret."

"Already did." Santana answered monotonously and with that she slammed the door shut.

* * *

Just as Santana parked in front of the Pierce's house, she saw their car driving off at the end of the street. She was glad that Brittany's parents wouldn't at least be there because the less people saw her like this- so mad and emotionally agitated- the better.

She had driven way too fast although the streets were iced and the snow was still covering everything. She didn't care, she was too mad. But she was still glad that nothing had happened to her.

She looked down at her hands that were gripping the steering wheel tightly as if her life was depending on it. Her knuckles were already white. She looked to the passenger seat where she had thrown the magazine on. She looked at the cover and frowned. She started feeling nauseous when she read the name of the article again. It made it even harder for her to calm down.

She knew she shouldn't believe what was published. Most of the things about her weren't even true. She had told Brittany from the beginning that she shouldn't believe what was written. After all Brittany believed that Santana and Sam were dating when they first met.

But no matter how many times she tried to reassure herself that it wasn't true, the less she believed it. It made her doubt. It was Brittany who hadn't liked Santana and it was Brittany who had been so mad that they weren't outed. Maybe she wasn't pressuring but that didn't lessen the feeling of Santana feeling pressured indirectly. And now she had been pushed out of the closet and she landed right on her face in the mud.

She was angry, so angry that if she wasn't holding onto anything should be trembling in rage. For a moment she believed that her hands would crush the steering wheel if she held onto it a bit tighter. She clenched her jaw tight, glad that since the magazine hadn't been in the stores for long it gave her some more time till the paparazzi would flood the streets of Lima in order to demand pictures and interviews just to make money. Grabbing the magazine from the passenger seat, she got out of the car and slammed the door shut loudly behind her not bothering to take her keys with her.

She ran up all the way to Brittany's door and started slamming her fist onto the door repeatedly. She heard a hurried 'coming' from behind it and seconds later Brittany opened her door. A smile appeared onto her face that faded just as quickly when she saw the state Santana was in. She couldn't see her eyes, just the tears that were emerging from underneath the sunglasses.

"Baby, why are you crying?"

Santana hadn't even noticed the tears that had started streaming down her face probably since she first read that article. She wiped her hand across her face in order to remove some of the wetness but more tears followed and eventually she stopped. Brittany opened her arms in order to hug her girlfriend but Santana took a step back.

"Don't." She heard herself saying.

"Bab-"

"Don't! You don't get to call me that." Santana interrupted her, hysteria and anger underlying her voice. She had started yelling by now. She didn't care if anyone heard them. It would come out eventually just like her sexuality had.

"Is that why you wanted us to be open about this relationship? I was just prop so that everyone could know your name?"

"Santana, calm down. What are you talking about?"

"So now you decide to play dumb?" Santana asked. "This is what I'm talking about." She shoved the magazine into Brittany's arms causing her to stumble a few steps back by the force Santana had used. Santana had never treated her that way and it stung more than she would have imagined. Taking a deep breath she took the magazine and looked at the front page. She flipped open the page and started reading through it quickly.

"And I was dumb enough to believe you. Stupid enough to trust you and you know the funniest part is that I genuinely loved you. It's hilarious that people at McKinley think that you're stupid because honestly I'm the stupid one. I am! To this point I would've done anything for you. Isn't that funny?" She started laughing hysterically. A shudder ran down Brittany's spine.

"Isn't that fucking funny?" She repeated again louder.

"Santana, no this is not-" Santana raised her hand. She wanted Brittany to stop talking.

"Don't bother explaining. I don't want to hear any of your excuses. I'm done. It's over." And with that she started walking back to her car.

"Santana!" Brittany shouted back. She even started running after Santana but she had already started the engine and drove off. Seconds later as Brittany was looking at Santana's Porsche speeding off and getting smaller with the distance everything hit her and she realized that this was the end. It didn't take long for her to break down onto the side walk on the snow and hot tears started streaming down her face.

She was hurt and devastated. But most importantly she was just confused because none of the things in this article were true. She had a hard time making sense of everything in her head and she could already feel a headache approaching. The only thing she could do was dial a familiar number and choke out a 'Quinn' when she heard her best friend picking up.

* * *

Sam looked disbelieving around. He clutched his phone to his ear tighter as if it would make the words that left Quinn's mouth disappear magically, as if everything would just go back to normal. He exhaled deeply and ran his hand through his short hair. Anger spread through his body and he started shaking his head.

Shelby, Holly, Joe and some members of his team were looking at him. He furrowed his brows and sighed for the umpteenth time.

"Okay, I'll try but I'm not promising anything. Yeah and give me her number, I'll call her. And you really think that this is a good idea? Because I don't know if you remember, but Santana's gets pissed off by her pretty easily."

There was a pause while Sam waited for Quinn to finish what she was saying. No one in the kitchen knew what they were talking about but they could hear Quinn yelling on the other side.

"I'll do my best. Just stop yelling. This is also hard for her. You have no idea how difficult it is for her to deal with that. She just got outed by some asshole who thinks it's funny to mingle in other people's business. You may be my girlfriend, Q, but she's my sister, okay? You can't talk about her like that. You have no right. We don't know anything right now. Talk to you later, okay? Bye."

And then he hung up. He threw his phone onto the kitchen island and leaned his hands onto it. His head slumped forward and another deep sigh escaped his lips. He felt a hand on his shoulders and seconds later Holly's arms wrapping around him from the side. His head relaxed onto her shoulder.

"Why does she always have to do that?" He asked and Holly's body shook with laughter for a few seconds before she started stroking Sam's hair.

"Because she has a temper and she's in love." Was all Holly said. Sam pulled himself together and after hugging Holly a bit tighter, he pulled away and turned to Joe and his team.

"I want a few of you to go over to Brittany's and Quinn's. Quinn told me that paparazzi have gathered around Brittany's house, waiting for her to come outside. I don't want anything happening to her, Quinn or Brittany's sister. Joe knows the address. If you need anything call me."

Joe nodded and minutes later there were only two of his team left. It didn't take long for the silence in the kitchen to be disturbed by the loud banging of the door echoing through the house. Santana was just about to pass the kitchen when Sam jumped off his stool, the force knocking it over and tried to pull her into the kitchen. All he received as a response was a shove that caused him to tumble to the ground.

Santana looked down at him, her mouth wide opened because she was shocked at how she had reacted. She had never ever behaved like this towards her brother. Sure they did fight sometimes but never had she been violent towards him.

Santana didn't want to talk about it. With anyone and she wouldn't let herself get forced into something she obviously was uncomfortable sharing. Or she was just hurt and acted on defense mechanism. That's what Sam was thinking.

When Santana was hurt it didn't matter what the truth was. She just wanted to protect herself from further pain and therefore she shut off. It was ridiculous. She always drove everyone around her and most importantly herself insane. She never saw that she was hurting herself and Brittany even more by acting this way.

Even if the pain was evident. He had been able to hear Brittany in the background sobbing loudly. And Quinn had been furious. She had said a few things that Sam didn't want to hear as a brother and boyfriend. This was hard for him, too.

On the one side he had Santana- his sister- who he would support no matter what and on the other side he had Quinn- his girlfriend- who was pressuring him into trying to talk to Santana. She had no idea how hard it was to try and talk to Santana. To say that he was stuck between two sides was evident to everyone with an objective view to the happenings.

"I- sorry." Was all that came out of Santana. It was barely a whisper. Just loud enough for her to be sure that her words had left her mouth and for Sam to understand. Within seconds a few tears started slipping down her cheeks which she wiped forcefully from her face with the sleeve of her hoodie. Angry at herself for being so damn emotional again she clenched her jaw shut and disappeared downstairs in their gym.

She had too much anger and fury inside of her to just be sitting still somewhere and think. She knew that if she didn't do anything about it now, it would all come out when it shouldn't; so she changed into her work out gear and tried to slip into her boxing gloves which was difficult to do when no one was there to help her. Eventually she gave up and just went with bandages around her knuckles. She tied them carefully just like Joe had shown her how to do it when he was showing her some tricks to be able to protect herself. She concentrated onto the task trying to calm herself as much as possible by being fully engrossed into her task.

When she finished she stood up and eyed the punching bag carefully. She was determined to beat the crap out of it. She would think about all of the people who always tried to bring her down. She would think about those idiots spreading rumors about her, about those paparazzi who never gave her a minute of privacy. She would think about everybody who hated her. People who were jealous of her, celebrities who talked nicely to her and about her, but were ready to stab her when she turned her back. Santana wasn't stupid. She knew exactly when polite behavior was fake and when it wasn't. She practically invented that behavior and attitude.

She would think of everything that's ever gotten her mad. Her parents' absence, her failure when it came to maintaining her façade and for letting everything slip out of control so easily. She would think about her hate towards the people who took her right away to come out of the closet when she wanted to and was ready to. She would think about how it was so easy to get weak at one gaze of ocean blue eyes.

And with that she landed the first punch. The punching bag swung back and then returned to Santana. That didn't stop her though from throwing another punch. And then another one and another one. She let her anger take control of her. Every time ocean blue eyes would appear behind her eyelids she would clench her jaw shut harder in order to hold back the tears and the punch would be twice as hard. For a moment she didn't recognize herself. She had never experienced herself as angry as she was now. But then again she had never let anyone get as close to her to cause that feeling in the first place.

She didn't know how long she was trying to get the punching bag to fall off its hinges. Maybe it was a few minutes, maybe a few hours but when she stopped because of dehydration and the pain in her knuckles, her clothes were drenched with sweat. Her top was clinging uncomfortably to her body and her shorts were a lot heavier than she had remembered them being when they were dry. She slid down the mirror that was covering the wall and gulped desperately the water out of the bottle as if her life depended on it. Suddenly the buzzing energy she had in her while punching the bag, disappeared.

Somewhere between trying to fill her lungs with as much oxygen as possible and unwrapping her sore and swollen knuckles from the bandages the painful reality hit her and all her efforts to ignore it were thrown out of the window. Sobs ripped through her body and hot tears started sliding down her cheeks as she buried her head in her knees and wrapped her arms around them in order to keep herself from falling apart. Because that's how it felt. It felt like she was falling apart.

Santana was pulled away from against the mirror and instead of its cold surface she had a warm body pressed against her back and arms wrap around her frame. She didn't fight it. The person was familiar and so was the scent that reached her nostrils.

"Shh, honey, it's alright." Holly whispered into Santana's ear and pulled her closer to her body. Holly started rocking her body from left to right in order to calm Santana down. She hugged Santana until her sobs died down and there was only light sniffling coming from Santana. Holly pulled Santana off her chest where she had buried her face during her crying fit and looked down at her god daughter. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, but most of all, the thing she saw was exhaustion.

"I'm going to make you a tea and you will take a shower okay?" Holly said softly and waited till Santana nodded. She pressed as kiss to Santana's forehead and helped the younger girl up to her feet.

Half an hour later, Holly heard the padding of feet shuffling down the stairs as she placed a cup of steaming tea onto the kitchen island. Santana took a seat in front of it and leaned her head onto her hand while the other one gripped the mug despite the throbbing in her knuckles. Somehow she liked the pain because it was making her feel something physically instead of emotionally and although the thought of it was kind of terrifying, it calmed her. Her damp hair was falling in front of her face covering her exhausted features.

Holly grabbed an ice pack from the refrigerator and gave it Santana to cool her swollen knuckles. She gave Holly a weak smile in return and placed the ice pack onto one of her hands enjoying the soothing feeling that came from the coldness before taking a sip from her tea, letting the liquid warm her up inside. Santana was glad that Holly didn't pressure her to talk. Instead she just took care of her. She combed through Santana's hair with her fingers and tied it to a loose ponytail with an elastic that she kept around her wrist.

"You look exhausted." Holly said while taking a seat next to Santana. She rubbed up and down Santana's back, watching the girl closely while she put the ice pack onto her other hand. Holly looked down at the hands and started stroking over Santana's knuckles, desperately trying to take some of the soreness and pain away.

"I am exhausted." Santana replied quietly, looking down at her tea. Her voice was hoarse from crying and not speaking for a while.

"Let's go to bed." Santana nodded again and after placing her empty mug into the sink, she followed Holly upstairs. "Are you going to be alright?" Holly asked when they reached Santana's door.

"Yeah."

"If you need anything just come over. Good night, Santana." Holly pressed another kiss to Santana's forehead and started walking towards her room. Santana watched the door of her own room for a while. She didn't really want to be alone right now. She was upset and there were memories in that room. Pictures and some of Brittany's clothes. She was pretty sure that even her sheets would smell like Brittany. And if she tried hard enough she would be able to hear Brittany's soft moans and pants echoing through the silence.

Santana wasn't ready to face everything just yet. And before Holly could slip into her own room Santana called out her name. Holly just smiled at her and held open the door. Santana's lips twitched into a smile and minutes later she was in the safe embrace of her god mother, hoping that she would get some sleep.

Holly watched exhaustion take over Santana's body as her eyes fluttering closed. She exhaled deeply and freed Santana's hair from the elastic letting it sprawl onto the pillow messily. She combed through raven looks for a while, mustering Santana's now relaxed features and listening to the steady breath escaping Santana. She squeezed Santana tighter to her body, burying her nose into dark hair.

"It's going to be alright. I love you." Holly whispered and let herself fall into sleep as well.

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**A/N Thanks for your patience. It was pretty hilarious to see how everyone reacted to the last chapter. I know this is a bit heartbreaking with everything happening on Glee right now. I hope you still enjoyed the chapter though :)**

**Let me know what you think either here or on my tumblr: kissinglips95. tumblr. com **


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